Method of separating isotopes of zirconium.

摘要

Vapor of dicyclopentadienyl zirconium dicyanate is irradiated by a laser beam of a CO<Sub>2</Sub> laser tuned to the stretching frequency of the <Sup>s</Sup>Zr-O-C bond of the dicyanate. Where <Sup>s</Sup>Zr is a selected isotope of zirconium the excited component of the irradiated dicyanate including the <Sup>s</Sup>Zr is decomposed and is separated from the remainder. The dicyanate is readily prepared in large quantities, resists hydrolysis, sublimes at a temperature well below its dissociation temperature, and has a lower molecular weight than other proposed compounds such as diisopropoxide, and tert-butoxide.