Current Science

Rashmi Singh ¹, M. K. Singh ¹, D. K. Kohli ¹, Ashish Singh ¹, Sushmita Bhartiya ², A. K. Agarwal ³, P. K. Gupta ¹

Affiliations
1 Nano Functional Materials Laboratory, Laser Materials Development and Devices Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, IN
2 Nano Functional Materials Laboratory, Laser Materials Development and Devices Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013, IS
3 Heavy Water Board, Vikram Bhawan, Anushakti Nagar, Mumbai 400 094, IN

Abstract

The use of catalysed exchange of deuterium (D) between hydrogen (H) gas and liquid water using the bithermal hydrogen water (BHW) process is a promising and environment-friendly approach for the production of heavy water. However, the use of this approach is limited by the lack of a suitable catalyst that has good activity at high operating pressures required for practical applications. We report the development of hydrophobic platinum-doped carbon aerogel (PtCA) catalyst which shows good catalytic activity for H/D isotope exchange reactions at operating pressures up to 20 bar.

Keywords

Carbon Dioxide Activation, Hydrogen Isotope Separation, Hydrophobic Catalyst, Platinum-Doped Carbon Aerogel.

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A. K. Agarwal ¹

Affiliations
1 Harshi Heritage, Sector 19, Plot 101, Kharghar, Navi Mumbai 410 210, IN

Abstract

GS process is the most widely used bi-thermal exchange process for production of heavy water. This paper describes how recovery of deuterium from natural water can be increased in a GS process plant, from existing limit of 19.6% to 25% by incorporating cold and hot stripper sections in the first stage exchange towers. By increasing recovery, production can be increased and operating costs reduced substantially, leading to enhanced and cheaper heavy water production from similar size plant. These concepts and novel flow sheet changes can be applied to new as well as existing plants by reassigning some of the available contacting stages to stripper sections, and still enhance production rates. They can also be applied to any other bi-thermal exchange process.

Keywords

Cold/Hot Strippers, Deuterium, Deuterium Depleted Water, Gs Process, Heavy Water, Recovery.

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