Deuterium-depleted water is produced easily and inexpensively. A method for producing deuterium-depleted water by removing heavy water and semi-heavy water from water includes an adsorption step of supplying water vapor to a predetermined adsorbent at pressure at which heavy water and semi-heavy water are adsorbed by the adsorbent and light water is not easily adsorbed, causing the heavy water and semi-heavy water to be adsorbed, and recovering the water vapor not adsorbed by the adsorbent. The method also includes a desorption step of maintaining vapor pressure around the predetermined adsorbent which has adsorbed the water vapor in a range in which light water is desorbed and heavy water or semi-heavy water is not easily desorbed, and recovering the water vapor desorbed from the adsorbent.

Water is separated into deuterium-depleted water having a low deuterium concentration and deuterium-enriched water having a high deuterium concentration easily and at low cost.

A method for separating water into deuterium-depleted water and deuterium-enriched water, the method including: adsorbing water vapor on an adsorbent including a pore body having pores 6 while supplying water vapor to and allowing the water vapor to pass through the adsorbent for a predetermined period of time; recovering deuterium-enriched water containing a large amount of heavy water 8 from the water vapor not adsorbed on the adsorbent; and then recovering deuterium-depleted water containing a large amount of light water 7 from the water vapor adsorbed on the adsorbent.

Water is separated into deuterium-depleted water having a low deuterium concentration and deuterium-enriched water having a high deuterium concentration easily and at low cost.

A method for separating water into deuterium-depleted water and deuterium-enriched water, the method including: adsorbing water vapor on an adsorbent including a pore body having pores 6 while supplying water vapor to and allowing the water vapor to pass through the adsorbent for a predetermined period of time; recovering deuterium-enriched water containing a large amount of heavy water 8 from the water vapor not adsorbed on the adsorbent; and then recovering deuterium-depleted water containing a large amount of light water 7 from the water vapor adsorbed on the adsorbent.

Methods and materials for the selective capture and storage of preselected materials from gas streams using metal organic framework (MOF) materials are described. In various embodiments preselected target material gases could include noble gasses such as Kr, Xe, Rn, Arultramicro to mesopore frameworks for selective separation and storage of noble gases, other gasses such as I.sub.2 or other particular isotopes either naturally occurring or man-made, or another preselected gas capture material such as a target material for legal, regulatory or treaty compliance, or a preselected material from a particular process such as a cleaning or etching agent from semiconducting or microelectronic manufacture, or a portion of an anesthetic gas such as nitrous oxide, isoflurane, sevoflurane or a fluorinated ethers.

Methods and materials for the selective capture and storage of preselected materials from gas streams using metal organic framework (MOF) materials are described. In various embodiments preselected target material gases could include noble gasses such as Kr, Xe, Rn, Arultramicro to mesopore frameworks for selective separation and storage of noble gases, other gasses such as I.sub.2 or other particular isotopes either naturally occurring or man-made, or another preselected gas capture material such as a target material for legal, regulatory or treaty compliance, or a preselected material from a particular process such as a cleaning or etching agent from semiconducting or microelectronic manufacture, or a portion of an anesthetic gas such as nitrous oxide, isoflurane, sevoflurane or a fluorinated ethers.

Methods for the recovery of metal ions from an aqueous metal-chelator solution are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method includes dissociating a metal ion from a chelating agent to form a free chelating agent and then precipitating or removing the free chelating agent, wherein at least some of the metal ions remain in an acid solution for further processing. For example, the metal ions can be used in other applications, such as in medical applications and industrial applications.

Methods for enriching, separating, or enriching and separating isotopes and isotopologues, as well as other chemical species, contained in a supersonic beam are provided. In the methods, a supersonic beam having different isotopes, isotopologues, or other chemical species entrained therein and a beam comprising a matrix material converge on a surface. As the matrix material forms a solid matrix on the surface, heavier isotopes, isotopologues, and/or other chemical species become preferentially embedded in the matrix, while lighter isotopes, isotopologues, and/or other chemical species are preferentially scattered from the surface.

Methods for enriching, separating, or enriching and separating isotopes and isotopologues, as well as other chemical species, contained in a supersonic beam are provided. In the methods, a supersonic beam having different isotopes, isotopologues, or other chemical species entrained therein and a beam comprising a matrix material converge on a surface. As the matrix material forms a solid matrix on the surface, heavier isotopes, isotopologues, and/or other chemical species become preferentially embedded in the matrix, while lighter isotopes, isotopologues, and/or other chemical species are preferentially scattered from the surface.

An oil separator is provided with a case that has an air inlet and a plurality of expansion chambers formed within the case. Air that contains oil is introduced into the case via the inlet and caused to strike a impingement plate to thereby separate the oil from the introduced air and recover the oil. The transverse cross-sectional area of each expansion chamber is greater than the open area of the inlet. Partition walls with orifice holes formed therein are provided between the expansion chambers.

To provide an absorbing material to separate tritium from heavy water. By using a deuterium ion- or hydrogen ion-containing manganese oxide having a spinel-type crystal structure as a tritium absorbing material collecting tritium from heavy water containing tritium, tritium can be separated and recovered inexpensively from the heavy water.