METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE ENRICHMENT OF HEAVY OXYGEN ISOTOPES

Title:

METHOD AND EQUIPMENT FOR THE ENRICHMENT OF HEAVY OXYGEN ISOTOPES

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO/2008/038561

Kind Code:

A1

Abstract:

A method for the enrichment of heavy oxygen isotopes which comprises the first distillation step of feeding both ozone and oxygen generated in an ozonizer (12) into a distillation column (13) filled with a diluent gas and conducting the separation into oxygen and an ozone/diluent gas mixture, the photodecomposition step of introducing the ozone/diluent gas mixture from the bottom of the distillation column into a photoreaction cell (14) and irradiating the mixture with a laser to decompose selectively ozone containing heavy oxygen isotopes, the second distillation step of returning both oxygen containing heavy oxygen isotopes and undecomposed ozone to the distillation column and conducting the separation into oxygen and an ozone/diluent gas mixture, the step of liquefying oxygen containing heavy oxygen isotopes in a condenser (16) provided on the top of the distillation column and withdrawing product oxygen, and the third distillation step of conducting the separation of oxygen and a diluent gas and in which the first to third distillation steps are conducted in one distillation column, namely distillation column (13).

Inventors:

KAMBE TAKASHI (JP)
KIHARA HITOSHI (JP)
NARA NORIHISA (JP)
KAWAKAMI HIROSHI (JP)

Application Number:

PCT/JP2007/068253

Publication Date:

April 03, 2008

Filing Date:

September 20, 2007

Export Citation:

Click for automatic bibliography generation Help

Assignee:

TAIYO NIPPON SANSO CORP (JP)
KAMBE TAKASHI (JP)
KIHARA HITOSHI (JP)
NARA NORIHISA (JP)
KAWAKAMI HIROSHI (JP)

International Classes:

C01B13/00; B01D59/34; F25J3/02

Domestic Patent References:

WO2004078325A1

2004-09-16

Foreign References:

JP2000271450A	2000-10-03
JPS62298402A	1987-12-25
JP2006260894A	2006-09-28
JP2004261776A	2004-09-24
JP2005040668A	2005-02-17

Other References: