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Separation of Hydrogen Isotopes by an Advanced Thermal Diffusion Column Using Cryogenic-Wall

J. Mitsui, Y. Okada, F. Sakai, T. Ide, K. Hirata, T. Yamanishi, K. Okuno, Y. Naruse, I. Yamamoto, A. Kanagawa

Fusion Science and Technology / Volume 19 / Number 3P2B / May 1991 / Pages 1646-1650

Material and Tritium / Proceedings of the Ninth Topical Meeting on the Technology of Fusion Energy (Oak Brook, Illinois, October 7-11, 1990) / dx.doi.org/10.13182/FST91-A29577

An experiment on the separation of hydrogen isotopes has been carried out by using a thermal diffusion column with a “cryogenic-wall” cooled by liquid nitrogen. The separation factor was compared with that of a ordinary column cooled by water, and the separation factor for the “cryogenic-wall” column is higher than that for the “water cooled wall” column. Moreover, the separation factor obtained by a 473 K operation of the hot wire in the “cryogenic-wall” system was found to be greater than that by 1073 K operation. Probably because the isotopic exchange reaction between H2 and D2 was suppressed in 473 K operation; there was no HD component observed in this case, while an equilibrium amount of HD component was immediately detected in 1073 K operation.