Heavy water production - a review of processes

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dc.contributor.authorLevins, DMen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2007-11-22T04:33:22Zen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2010-04-30T04:41:24Zen_AU
dc.date.available2007-11-22T04:33:22Zen_AU
dc.date.available2010-04-30T04:41:24Zen_AU
dc.date.issued1970-09en_AU
dc.description.abstractMethods of heavy water production are examined in detail. Processes based on chemical exchange have the greatest potential for further development but distillation, electrolytic and chromatographic methods are also discussed. In the immediate future most of the world output of heavy water will be produced by hydrogen sulphide/water exchange (the GS process) but there is limited scope for further reduction in GS production costs. Recent advances in process development make the ammonia/hydrogen route an attractive alternative since the enrichment obtainable in each stage is greater while the energy consumption is less. A variation of the ammonia/hydrogen scheme involving the use of amines as additives to, or substitutes for ammonia also appears promising. The greatest obstacle to the development of either the ammonia/hydrogen or amine/hydrogen schemes on a large scale is the limitation on the supply of hydrogen. Ammonia synthesis gas is currently the most plentiful supply available but 1500 tonnes/day of ammonia capacity is needed for each 100 tonnes of heavy water produced annually. Unlimited production could be achieved using an equilibration stage in which hydrogen depleted in deuterium is exchanged with water at high temperature. The economics of this scheme depend on the development of a satisfactory catalyst for water/hydrogen equilibration. Distillation of water, methane and hydrogen have been proposed as economic routes to heavy water production but design studies and experimental data would need to be clarified if optimistic forecasts are to be substantiated. Processes based on chromatography or selective adsorption have received scant attention in the past. Many problems would need to be overcome before such processes could be adapted to large scale production of heavy water, but in view of recent advances in plant scale chromatography, they should be re-examined.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationLevins, D. M. (1970). Heavy water production - a review of processes. (AAEC/TM562). Lucas Heights, NSW: Australian Atomic Energy Commission.en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc860en_AU
dc.identifier.isbn0642993769en_AU
dc.identifier.otherAAEC-TM-562en_AU
dc.identifier.placeofpublicationLucas Heights, New South Walesen_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/850en_AU
dc.language.isoen_auen_AU
dc.publisherAustralian Atomic Energy Commissionen_AU
dc.subjectDeuteriumen_AU
dc.subjectHeavy wateren_AU
dc.subjectSeparation processesen_AU
dc.subjectDistillationen_AU
dc.titleHeavy water production - a review of processesen_AU
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