In an aspect, an electrochemical hydrogen isotope recycling apparatus for recycling a feedstream comprising a single isotope of hydrogen, comprising: an electrochemical recycling unit, the unit comprising an anode; a cathode; an isotope-treated, cation exchange membrane operatively disposed between the anode and cathode, the isotope-treated, cation exchange membrane having heavy water containing the isotope of hydrogen therein, the unit configured to receive the feedstream containing the single isotope of hydrogen; wherein the single isotope is deuterium or tritium and when the single isotope is deuterium, the heavy water comprises D.sub.2O and when the single isotope is tritium, the heavy water is T.sub.2O.

In an aspect, an electrochemical hydrogen isotope recycling apparatus for recycling a feedstream comprising a single isotope of hydrogen, comprising: an electrochemical recycling unit, the unit comprising an anode; a cathode; an isotope-treated, cation exchange membrane operatively disposed between the anode and cathode, the isotope-treated, cation exchange membrane having heavy water containing the isotope of hydrogen therein, the unit configured to receive the feedstream containing the single isotope of hydrogen; wherein the single isotope is deuterium or tritium and when the single isotope is deuterium, the heavy water comprises D.sub.2O and when the single isotope is tritium, the heavy water is T.sub.2O.

A lithium isotope concentration device includes a treatment tank partitioned in a supply tank and a recovery tank by an electrolyte membrane having a lithium-ion conductivity. The electrolyte membrane is cooled by a cooling device via an Li-containing aqueous solution in the supply tank to have a low temperature at which the Li isotope separation coefficient is larger. A power supply device, connected between electrodes provided on opposite surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, applies a positive voltage to an electrode on a supply tank side.

A lithium isotope concentration device includes a treatment tank partitioned in a supply tank and a recovery tank by an electrolyte membrane having a lithium-ion conductivity. The electrolyte membrane is cooled by a cooling device via an Li-containing aqueous solution in the supply tank to have a low temperature at which the Li isotope separation coefficient is larger. A power supply device, connected between electrodes provided on opposite surfaces of the electrolyte membrane, applies a positive voltage to an electrode on a supply tank side.

To obtain deuterium in a gas state from a mixed gas of hydrogen and deuterium at a low cost.

A first electrode 11 is an electrode made of a metal allowing hydrogen (H component and D component) to permeate therethrough (hydrogen permeable metal), and the hydrogen permeable metal is Pd, for example. H ions and D ions having permeated through the first electrode 11 flow to the side of a second electrode 12 in a proton conduction layer 20. When the first electrode 11 is used as an anode and the second electrode 12 as a cathode, H ions and D ions flow in the proton conduction layer 20 from the left to the right in the drawing. In that case, hydrogen component in an input gas is more likely to flow into an atmosphere on the cathode side than deuterium component, and an H/D composition ratio accordingly becomes higher in a product gas than in the input gas. In an exhaust gas extracted after H and D components in the input gas are thus consumed, D component has been enriched.

To obtain deuterium in a gas state from a mixed gas of hydrogen and deuterium at a low cost.

A first electrode 11 is an electrode made of a metal allowing hydrogen (H component and D component) to permeate therethrough (hydrogen permeable metal), and the hydrogen permeable metal is Pd, for example. H ions and D ions having permeated through the first electrode 11 flow to the side of a second electrode 12 in a proton conduction layer 20. When the first electrode 11 is used as an anode and the second electrode 12 as a cathode, H ions and D ions flow in the proton conduction layer 20 from the left to the right in the drawing. In that case, hydrogen component in an input gas is more likely to flow into an atmosphere on the cathode side than deuterium component, and an H/D composition ratio accordingly becomes higher in a product gas than in the input gas. In an exhaust gas extracted after H and D components in the input gas are thus consumed, D component has been enriched.

The invention relates to isotope separation methods, and methods for separating isotopes with low energy consumption, demonstrated using hydrogen isotopes. Also described are methods for enriching or depleting the isotope present in the hydrogen gas/vapour feed e.g. for tritium removal, tritium enrichment and deuterium enrichment, by arranging a series of cells in a cascaded configuration.

The invention relates to isotope separation methods, and methods for separating isotopes with low energy consumption, demonstrated using hydrogen isotopes. Also described are methods for enriching or depleting the isotope present in the hydrogen gas/vapour feed e.g. for tritium removal, tritium enrichment and deuterium enrichment, by arranging a series of cells in a cascaded configuration.

A liquid phase catalytic exchange column with a catalyst is configured to receive hydrogen gas. The system uses the catalyst to exchange the hydrogen gas with the tritiated source yielding HT gas and tritiated water. The system monitors tritium content of the tritiated water. When a predetermined tritium level is detected, the tritiated water is released. The system also includes a gaseous permeation system comprising a permeable barrier for the selective extraction of gases.

A liquid phase catalytic exchange column with a catalyst is configured to receive hydrogen gas. The system uses the catalyst to exchange the hydrogen gas with the tritiated source yielding HT gas and tritiated water. The system monitors tritium content of the tritiated water. When a predetermined tritium level is detected, the tritiated water is released. The system also includes a gaseous permeation system comprising a permeable barrier for the selective extraction of gases.