The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 06, 1979
Filed:
Aug. 14, 1978
John P Butler, Deep River, CA;
John H Rolston, Deep River, CA;
James DEN Hartog, Deep River, CA;
Fred W Molson, Petawawa, CA;
John W Goodale, Deep River, CA;
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Ottawa, CA;
Abstract
A process for the exchange of hydrogen isotopes between streams of gaseous hydrogen and liquid water is described, wherein the streams at a temperature in the range 273 to 573 K are brought into contact with one another and a catalytically active mass comprising an inherently hydrophobic, porous, polytetrafluoroethylene matrix and partially platinized carbon particles dispersed throughout the whole of the porous polytetrafluoroethylene matrix in the weight ratio of 1:1 to 3:1 of polytetrafluoroethylene to partially platinized high surface area carbon particles. The inherently hydrophobic, porous polytetrafluoroethylene matrix allows the catalytically active metal to catalyze the hydrogen isotope exchange reaction between hydrogen gas and water vapor in the presence of liquid water while retarding loss of activity of the catalytically active metal by contact of the metal catalyst with liquid water. This catalyzed chemical isotope exchange proceeds simultaneously with isotope exchange from water vapor to liquid water by a non-catalyzed, physical evaporation and condensation exchange reaction. The efficient coupling of these two isotopic transfer steps which results in a rapid overall isotopic exchange between hydrogen and liquid water without a pronounced loss of activity of the catalyst is dependent upon the weight ratio of the catalytically active platinized carbon to the polytetrafluoroethylene matrix being in the above mentioned range of 1:1 to 3:1.