Recovery of tritium and deuterium from their oxides and intermetallic compound useful therein

US5180568A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• SAES GETTERS S.P.A. · IT

Inventors

• Claudio Boffito · Rho, IT
• Massimo Bolognesi · Milano, IT

Key dates

• Filing date: May 23, 1991
• Grant date: Jan 19, 1993
• Expiry date: May 23, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C22C16/00
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

There is described a process for the recovery of deuterium and tritium from their oxides, such has heavy water and tritiated water, comprising the steps of reacting the oxides of deuterium and tritium with an intermetallic compound having a formula ZrM.sub.2, where M is a transition metal chosen from the group comprising Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni such that it sorbs oxygen and released deuterium and tritium. The reaction preferably occurs by contacting the impure gas with the ZrM.sub.2 alloy as defined above, in the form of a compressed powder. A preferred alloy is the intermetallic ternary compound ZrMnFe.