ISOTOPE SEPARATION WITH THE cw HYDROGEN FLUORIDE LASER

Abstract
A cw hydrogen fluoride laser has been used successfully to separate deuterium from hydrogen by specific photocatalysis of the reaction of methanol with bromine. The strong absorption of H3COH was demonstrated for the HF laser lines P1(5), P1(6), and P1(7) while no absorption by deutero‐methanol of the HF beam was observed. Excitation of H2COH by the absorbed beam increased the rate of H3COH removal by reaction with bromine. Irradiation, at 90 W for 60 sec, with the cw hydrogen fluoride laser of a 1 : 1 H3COH : D3COD gas mixture in the presence of bromine produced isotope enrichment to greater than 95% D3COD.