Development of a Laser Based Detritiation System at Ontario Hydro

A system for separation of tritium from protium based on selective multiphoton dissociation of trifluoromethane is under development. In addition to the selective multiphoton dissociation process, processes have been demonstrated for transfer of tritium from a water feed to the trifluoromethane process gas and for the separation of the tritiated dissociation product from the trifluoromethane after the laser dissociation cell. A simple dissociation cell design employing waveguiding of laser radiation in hollow cylindrical dielectrics has been tested. Work is continuing to integrate the experimental data into a computer model of the complete detritiation system which will allow us to determine if this process can provide the basis for low cost, low inventory tritium separation facilities.