INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURE ON THE ELECTROLYTIC SEPARATION FACTOR OF HYDROGEN ISOTOPES

Abstract

An electrolysis cell and a tritium counting system are described for the study of the influence of temperature on the electrolytic separation of hydrogen isotopes on a mild steel cathode in alkaline solution. By careful control of the conditions for electrolysis, the separation factors could be determined with a probable error of ±4%. From the temperature coefficients of the three separation factors α, β, and γ, differences in activation energy of −1680, −2260, and −580 cal/mole have been calculated for electrolysis in the H–D, H–T, and D–T systems respectively. When conditions were less stringently controlled, the separation factor β was found to be a linear function of the separation factor α according to an equation of the form β = Dα−E. This relationship is of importance in the use of deuterium as a tracer in the electrolytic concentration of natural tritium. Some empirical equations showing the temperature influence on the variation of β as a function of α are also included.