GB847584A - Improvements in or relating to a method of increasing the deuterium content of liquid ammonia and/or hydrogen gas and apparatus therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0847584/III/1> In a process of producing deuteriumenriched NH3 and/or H2 by a dual temperature isotopic exchange process between countercurrents of liquid NH3 and H2 gas in a cold and hot column, an additional cold column is provided in which the H2 and liquid NH3 are also passed in countercurrent contact. Liquid NH3, containing potassium amide catalyst, is passed through cold, e.g. above -77 DEG C., say -20 DEG C., columns I, II and hot, e.g. below 133 DEG C., say 130 DEG C., column III, and at least part is recycled to I, while H2 is passed countercurrent through III, II, I, and at least part is recycled to III. The columns may be packed or contain bubble caps, and the pressure may be up to 1000 atms., say 300 atms. NH3 is depleted in D in III, and H2 is depleted in D in II, I, the period of contact in each column being such that D depletion is a maximum. Enriched NH3, or H2, or both is withdrawn at P2, P1 and fresh feed is supplied at F2,F1. A plurality of stages each consisting of the above two cold and a hot column may be used to increase the enrichment.