Metal Hydride Based Isotope Separation — Large-Scale Operations

A program to develop a metal hydride based hydrogen isotope separation process began at the Savannah River Laboratory in 1980. This semi-continuous gas chromatographic separation process will be used in new tritium facilities at the Savannah River Site. A tritium production unit is scheduled to start operation in 1992. An experimental, large-scale unit is currently being tested using protium and deuterium. Operation of the large-scale unit has demonstrated separation of mixed hydrogen isotopes (55% protium and 45% deuterium), resulting in protium and deuterium product streams with purities better than 99.5%.