Isotope exchange of ND3 on Pt catalyst-loaded 13X molecular sieve

Abstract

During D-T fusion operations the capture, purification, and recycling of unburned tritium will be crucial, as the formation of tritium containing molecules require additional processing. Removing the tritium can require costly processing to be unbound from the tritium-containing molecules and improvements to these processes will be necessary moving forward. Existing techniques using sorbent material beds to remove tritium-containing molecules from process gas streams undergo repeated high-heat cycling which leads to diminished bed lifespans, necessitating replacement and associated downtime. This work demonstrates the capture and isotopic exchange technique of deuterated ammonia (ND3), used as a surrogate for tritium, at ambient temperature using a Pt catalyst-loaded 13X molecular sieve. Unmodified 13X molecular sieve is capable of adsorbing and retaining the ND3 however, incorporation of a catalyst facilitates the isotopic exchange of the hydrogen isotopes. The effluent gas streams were analyzed in conjunction with desorbed ammonia isotopologues post-exchange to verify these results. Isotopically exchanging and removing heavier hydrogen isotopes using this technique provides an alternative to traditional removal methods.