Graphene Oxide Membranes for Isotopic Water Mixture Filtration: Preparation, Physicochemical Characterization, and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nuclear Engineering

Background:

• Nuclear reactors require low CO2 energy sources, but produce radioactive tritiated water.
• Efficient separation of water isotopes (H2O/D2O) is vital for nuclear safety and valuable purified isotopes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate graphene oxide (GO) membranes for separating isotopic water mixtures.
• To investigate how GO properties and preparation conditions affect membrane performance.

Main Methods:

• Experimental production of graphene oxide (GO) membranes.
• Filtration experiments using deuterated water (D2O)/light water (H2O) mixtures.
• Analysis of GO platelet size, oxidation level, and preparation conditions' impact on separation.

Main Results:

• Larger GO platelets with lower oxidation levels improved deuterated water rejection and filtrate flux.
• Membrane preparation critically influenced interlayer spacing and filtration performance.
• Separation performance showed a non-monotonic temperature dependence with optimal operating temperatures.

Conclusions:

• Graphene oxide membranes offer a scalable and robust method for efficient isotopic water separation.
• Optimized GO membrane design and preparation are key to high-performance water isotope filtration.
• This technology supports nuclear reactor safety and isotope purification.