Countercurrent Gaseous Exchange Method for the Separation of Isotopes

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A method is described for isotope enrichment by countercurrent gaseous exchange in a thermal diffusion column. The theory is derived for two cases of interest: diffusion limited and reaction-rate limited. Solutions of the equations are presented for the over-all separation S at the steady state as a function of the following: single stage enrichment factor α; diffusion constant D or exchange rate constant k; length of column Z; and the convective flow L, which in turn depends on pressure, temperature, column dimensions, etc. The results may be expressed in the usual form S=αN. For the diffusion-limited case N=4πDc̄Z/L, where c̄=moles of gas per cc. For the reaction-rate limited case the number of theoretical plates per unit length is given by the expression N/Z=k/v, where v is the convective velocity. Experiments are described in which C13 was concentrated by the exchange reaction C12O2+C13O⇌C13O2+C12O. The observed dependence of the over-all separation upon the operational variables is consistent with the theory.

This publication has 14 references indexed in Scilit: