Progress of Cryogenics and Isotopes Separation , ISSN: 1582-2575
2004, Volume 7, Issue 13+14

Possibilities for Reorientation the Activity of Heavy Water Plants

Abstract

In Romania heavy water is produced by H₂O-H₂S chemical exchange (GS process) and by water distillation, simultaneously working two lines. The distillation plants have high separation capacity, a distillation line being able to concentrate water from two GS lines. The paper presents data regarding possibilities to use one distillation line for oxygen 18 production, as pre-concentrates or finite products. Using a simulation program it was calculated oxygen 18 concentration in heavy water produced, maximum ¹⁸O concentration of pre-concentrate obtained on distillation line and the separation cascade dimensions for obtain 95% ¹⁸O, with first and second stage having same dimensions like a distillation plant from Romanian heavy water factory. Oxigen-18 separation factor is much lower than deuterium separation factor. For this reason, oxygen-18 is a very expensive product.