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). 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 of a 1:1 H3COH:D3COD gas mixture in the presence of bromine for a period of 1 min with the 90-W CW hydrogen fluoride laser beam produced isotope enrichment to greater than 95 percent D3COD. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 08, 1971
Accession Number
AD0729806

Entities

People

  • Donald J. Spencer
  • Munson A. Kwok
  • Rolf W. F. Gross
  • Stanley W. Mayer

Organizations

  • The Aerospace Corporation

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Absorption
  • Alcohols
  • Deuterium
  • Fluorides
  • Hydrogen
  • Hydrogen Fluoride Lasers
  • Isotope Separation
  • Laser Beams
  • Lasers
  • Methanols

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrochemical Engineering/ Fuel Cell Technologies
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Directed Energy - Lasers