Girdler sulfide process

The Girdler sulfide process for the enrichment of normal ( "light" ) to " heavy " water, and after the first industrial user, the Girdler Company, named, but is also known as Geib - Spevack process according to Karl- Hermann Geib and Jerome S. Spevack known. Independently invented both the beginning of the 1940s the procedure that is used for production of heavy water.

Principle

The Girdler sulfide process is based on a two -temperature isotopic exchange. In this process, a solution of water and hydrogen sulfide is used. Both components of the solution are exchanged hydrogen atoms capable of. Deuterium behaves depends on the temperature in this exchange process. At high temperatures, a deuterium atom migrates preferentially to hydrogen sulfide at low temperatures it migrates preferentially to the water.

Construction

The Girdler - Sulphide process, a structure of two temperature levels is used, the temperatures are from about 20 ° C and 130 ° C. Both temperature levels are connected by a hydrogen sulfide circulation. In the cold stage fresh water is supplied which flows through a connection into the hot stage. The hot stage has a drain for water depleted.

Due to the low temperature of the cold stage migrate deuterium atoms from the hydrogen sulfide fed to the fresh water. Thereby, the fresh water supplied is enriched and depleted of hydrogen sulphide. The enriched fresh water flows through a connection in the hot stage where it rejoins the depleted hydrogen sulfide. Due to the high temperature of the hot stage, the deuterium atoms migrate from enriched water over the depleted hydrogen sulfide. Thereby, the hydrogen sulfide is concentrated again and flows to the cold stage.

In the connections between the temperature levels enriched hydrogen sulfide and enriched water is removed. This enriched substances are passed through further stages of this construction in order to increase the degree of enrichment.

Swell

• Nuclear Engineering Handbook, by Ken Kok ( as a Google eBook )
• Hans G. Hirschberg: manual process and plant engineering: chemistry, technology and economy. Springer, 1999, ISBN 3540606238, p.122 ( digitized )
• A. S. Sadovsky Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, Heavy Water. History of one priority: http://www.sci-journal.ru/articles/2011/030e.pdf and http://www.sci-journal.ru/articles/2011/031e.pdf