REMOVAL OF HELIUM FROM DEUTERIUM/TRITIUM USING CATALYTIC OXIDATION

摘要

A process for removing helium and other impurities from a mixture containing deuterium and tritium, which process comprises the following steps: separating the isotopes of hydrogen from the impurity by catalytic oxidation; condensing out the oxides H2O, D2O and T2O thus formed; separating by electrolysis a portion of the said oxides in an electrolytic cell in order to produce a protium-rich portion; distilling the protium-rich portion to separate deuterium and tritium oxides from a distillate rich in water; and electrolysing the condensate of the distillation step and the non-electrolysed portion of the first electrolysing step in order to form a mixture of deuterium and tritium. Preferably the impure mixture of deuterium and tritium is a waste product of a fusion reactor and the purified deuteriumtritium mixture is recycled to the reactor.