PROCESS FOR RECOVERY OF TRITIUM AND PROTIUM FROM DEUTERIUM-CONTAINING WATER Russian patent published in 1996 - IPC

FIELD: removal of heavy hydrogen isotopes from deuterium-containing water. SUBSTANCE: tritium and protium are recovered from deuterium-containing water by multistage isotope exchange with involvement of hydrogen: by continuous or periodic catalytic isotope exchange of hydrogen with liquid water using top and bottom flow circulation units. The original deuterium-containing water is fed under continuous conditions to middle portion of the first column. Waste water is then allowed to flow out of the column top circulation unit. Some hydrogen-containing water is allowed to flow out of the column bottom circulation unit to the middle portion of the second column, heavy water is withdrawn from the top flow circulation unit and tritium concentrate is withdrawn from the bottom flow circulation unit. Deuterium-containing water may be fed under continuous conditions to middle portion of the first column, tritium concentrate is withdrawn from the bottom flow circulation unit. Some hydrogen-containing flow from the top flow circulation unit is fed to middle portion, conditioned heavy water is withdrawn from the bottom flow circulation unit of the second column, and waste water is removed from the top flow circulation unit of the second column. In periodic mode, unit is installed in the first column provided with top container. Middle container is installed between the outlet that allows liquid to flow out the first column and the inlet that allows liquid to flow into the second column. Deuterium-containing water is filled into all containers. On completion of the process, waster water is withdrawn from the top container, conditioned water is withdrawn from the middle container, and tritium concentrate is withdrawn from the bottom container. Additional flow of oxygen or air is circulating in the top flow circulation unit of both columns in amount of 0.15-0.25 % of the hydrogen flow being admitted. Isotope catalyst exchange contains 0.1- 1.0 wt % platinum on polysorb. EFFECT: more efficient recovery process. 6 cl, 2 dwg, 3 tbl