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Lithium Isotopes Separation by Electrolysis Amalgam by a Continuous Method

Kowsari, Mohammad Reza | 2013

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 44570 (46)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Energy Engineering
  6. Advisor(s): Outokesh, Mohammad; Ahmadi, Javad
  7. Abstract:
  8. Lithium has 9 isotopes which two isotopes are stable and remaining isotopes are unstable and have half-life. Lithium stable isotopes include 6Li and 7Li that their abundance is 7.53% and 92.47% respectively. Importance of lighter lithium isotope appears for its small cross section against thermal neutron and producing fusion reactors fuel in nuclear industries. Thermal neutron absorption cross section for 6Li and 7Li are 950 barn and 37 mbarn respectively. Interesting of these isotopes in nuclear industry is due to the large difference in the absorption cross section.6Li compounds implied for tritium producing in coat of nuclear fusion reactor with DT fuel. Following tritium is used in diagnosis of diseases such as thalassemia. 6LiD compound applied as fuel in fusion nuclear reactors which worked by laser inertial encapsulation method. 7Li in form of 7LiOH applied in adjusting cooled fluid pH in light water reactor and as anti-corrosion compound in fission reactor. 7Li is used in generating reactor (Breeding Reactor). The main use of 6Li, however, is as the source of tritium producing and used in nuclear fusion reactor. In 1388s, first experiment on lithium isotope separation by electrolysis carried on laboratory scale and batch method in IRAN. In this project imply same separation method but distinction is the scale is pilot and continuous method is chosen and important parameters have been studied. In this method, is used from mercury cathode and lithium hydroxide as feed which flow counter current into electrolysis cell. Implied anodes materials are stainless steel and coated titanium with ruthenium oxide. Parameters in this experiment are feed and mercury flow rate, lithium hydroxide concentration, current, anode type and amount of implied anode surface.Effect of each parameter studies on separation factor, efficiency, amount of lithium lost in feed and amount of lithium gained in product.In this project, separation is done by separation factors in range of 1.02 to 1.122 in single stage and in each step enrichment level was 0.2% and even was reached to 0.5%
  9. Keywords:
  10. Electrolysis ; Lithium Isotope Separation ; Separation Factors ; Electricity Consumption Efficiency ; Amalgam

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