Spent plasma reprocessing system

A process for removing helium and other impurities from a mixture containing deuterium and tritium is described. The process consists of: separating from the mixture isotopes of hydrogen in any of their diatomic combined forms; oxidising the separated isotopes to their corresponding oxides; separating tritium oxide and deuterium-tritium oxide from the oxides thus formed; and electrolysing the separated oxides to deuterium and tritium. The impure mixture of deuterium and tritium may be a waste product of a fusion reactor, and the purified deuterium/tritium mixture is recycled to the reactor. (U.K.)