Accelerating Solid/Liquid Chemical Exchange-Based Isotope Separation by the Dissolution/Precipitation Mechanism

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nuclear Chemistry

Background:

• Isotope separation is vital for sustainability, health, and fundamental science.
• Chemical exchange-based isotope separation (CEIS) is scalable but often uses toxic materials.
• Existing CEIS methods are typically gas-liquid or liquid-liquid, limiting scalability and efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an environmentally benign and scalable isotope separation technique.
• To overcome the slow diffusion rates typically observed in solid-state isotope exchange.
• To explore solid-liquid phase exchange for efficient nuclide separation.

Main Methods:

• A novel CEIS strategy utilizing accelerated dissolution and precipitation of solids in liquids.
• Experimentation with solid lithium chloride (LiCl) and LiCl solution in acetone at 2 °C.
• First-principle simulations to predict and validate isotope separation factors.

Main Results:

• Achieved an isotope separation factor of 1.021-1.026 for lithium isotopes within 10 minutes.
• Demonstrated efficient isotope exchange not limited by solid-state diffusion.
• Experimental results align with theoretical predictions from first-principle simulations.

Conclusions:

• The developed solid-liquid dissolution/precipitation strategy offers a scalable and efficient alternative for isotope separation.
• This method avoids toxic materials, presenting a greener approach to isotope enrichment.
• Opens new avenues for scalable isotope separation technologies applicable to various fields.