RECOVERING METHOD OF TRITIUM FROM TRITIUM WATER

摘要

PURPOSE:To recover tritium in a vapor phase in high yield without contamination by supplying a tritium water vapor-containing gas to an oxygen ion electroconductive solid electrolyte membrane to electrolyze. CONSTITUTION:An electrolytic cell is divided into two chambers by a oxyygen ion electroconductive solid electrolyte membrane which is a sintered body etc. consisting of an electrolyte 1, a cathode 2 and an anode 3 provided on the surface of the electrolyte. An electric current is supplied between both electrodes 2 and 3, and a tritium water T2O is supplied from a gas introducing port 4 by means of a gaseous current consisting of demineralized water vapor or an inert gas etc. to be reduced to gaseous tritium T2 by electrolysis on the surface of the cathode 2. The supplied tritium water T2O is converted into gaseous tritium T2 which is recovered from a gas discharging port. The oxygen formed by electrolysis is passed through the electrolyte in an ionic state, and the oxygen gas is generated at the anode 3 and discharged from an oxygen discharging port 6. since tritium T and tritium water T2O do not permeate the electrolyte membrane, oxygen is not contaminated.