FREMGANGSM}TE FOR UTVEKSLING AV HYDROGENISOTOPER

摘要

A process for the exchange of hydrogen isotopes between streams of gaseous hydrogen and liquid water is described, wherein the streams of liquid water and gaseous hydrogen are simultaneously brought into contact with one another and a catalyst packed bed assembly while at a temperature in the range 273 to 573.degree.K, The catalyst packed bed assembly may be composed of discrete carrier bodies of e.g. ceramics, metals, fibrous materials or synthetic plastics with catalytically active metal crystallites selected from Group VIII of the Periodic Table, partially enclosed in and bonded to the carrier bodies by a water repellent, water vapour and hydrogen gas permeable, porous, polymeric material, and discrete packing bodies having an exterior surface which is substantially hydrophilic and relatively non-catalytically active with regard to hydrogen isotope exchange between hydrogen gas and water vapour to that of the catalyst bodies. The catalytically active metal crystallites catalyze the hydrogen isotope exchange reaction between hydrogen gas and water vapour in the presence of liquid water while the polymeric material retards the loss of activity of the catalytically active metal crystallites caused by contact thereof by the liquid water. This catalyzed chemical isotope exchange proceeds simultaneously with isotope exchange from water vapour to liquid water by a non-catalyzed, physical evaporation and condensation exchange reaction and the addition of the discrete hydrophilic packing serves to increase this rate of isotope exchange between the water vapour and the liquid water. In other embodiments the catalyst structure and hydrophilic packing structure comprise a mixture of corrugated and flat metal sheet or gauze or a mixture of corrugated metal sheets or gauze packed or rolled such that fluid flow passage interstices are provided between the sheets and with the catalytically active metal crystallites deposited on some of the metal sheets or gauze.