Isotope Separation

Isotope Effects, Isotope Separation and Isotope Fractionation

Electrochemical isotope effect and lithium isotope separation.

A large electrochemical isotopic effect is observed upon the electrodeposition of lithium from solutions of propylene carbonate producing isotopically light metal deposits. The magnitude of fractionation is controlled by the applied overpotential and is largest close to equilibrium. Calculated partition function ratios for tetrahedrally coordinated lithium complexes and metallic lithium predict...

Laser isotope separation of uranium

A research effort was carried out at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, for developing laser-based techniques for enrichment of natural uranium to reactor-grade (2.5% to 3.0% U), with the potential to be economically scalable to industrial production. Three approaches – two molecular, namely CO2 laser-based approach and UF6-based approach, and one atomic, namely Atomic Vapour Las...

Molten Salts and Isotope Separation

The work on molten salts and isotope separation performed over the years at Université Pierre et Marie Curie and at Collège de France is critically reviewed. This research, closely related to A. Klemm’s pioneering contributions, leads among other things to the discovery of the effect now called the ‘Chemla effect’, after the late Professor Marius Chemla. These studies of ionic motions in melts,...

Novel PEFC Application for Deuterium Isotope Separation

The use of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) with a Nafion membrane for isotopic separation of deuterium (D) was investigated. Mass analysis at the cathode side indicated that D diffused through the membrane and participated in an isotope exchange reaction. The exchange of D with protium (H) in H₂O was facilitated by a Pt catalyst. The anodic data showed that the separation efficiency was ...