Enrichment of low level tritium from hydrogen using potassium-graphite intercalation compound (KC24)

A sorption-desorption process using potassium-graphite intercalation compound (K-GIC) was studied to verify its applicability to hydrogen isotope separation. Lowly concentrated tritium (7.55 MBq/mol-H2) contained in about 1 l of H2 gas was successfully enriched using 1 g of KC24. Three cycles of the sorption-desorption process applied to the H2-HT gas mixture proved to enhance the tritium concentration by a factor of 3.9, with a concomitant reduction of volume to 1/14. The positive result obtained in this study promises for this type of sorption-desorption process using K-GIC very good prospects of useful application to hydrogen isotope separation. The experimental process was simulated by calculation based on the material balance of the two components, using data of equilibrium in single stage. The calculated values agreed very well with experimentally determined data, thus attesting the applicability of the above simulation procedure to designing K-GIC hydrogen isotopes separators. (author)