Re: Tritiated Water

[Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 11:20 01.10.1996 -0500, you wrote:
>This University has a couple of projects involving H-3 removal from H-3
>contaminated water.  I had not heard clear explanation how the H-3 water
>molercules behave differently from those ordinary water from the
>researchers.  I feel they are wasting their time and my time.  The
>researchers claim tritiated water behave differently than regular water
>but that's all they normally say.  I hope I'm wrong.  I have seen
>reduction in H-3 activity by factor of 1.5-2 sometimes after water was
>processed.  This confuses me and my standing regarding
>this issue.  I know because our HP lab provide sample counting.  I am not
>in a
>position to discuss anything about the processes.    
>
>I would like to know the different characteristics between tritiated water
>molecules and regular water molecules without H-3.  I would like to
>clarify my stand for myself in this issue.  
>
>Do the triated water molecules behave different from water molecules
>wothout H-3? If so, How?  I guess H-3 atom could be 1 or 2 per each
>contaminated water molecule.  Could the differences in molecular weight
>make any different?
>
>This is only my opinion...
>Myung Chul Jo <mjo@scs.unr.edu>
>(702) 784-4540(voice)
>(702) 784-4553(fax)
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tritiated water (HTO) is two mass units heavier than normal water (H2O) -
this is the basis of all separation processes, because the physical
properties differ. The boiling points, the freezing points, the voltage
needed to liberate HT in electrolysis and so on are different. Any physical
separation can make use of these different properties. Remember that it is
possible to separate normal water from heavy water, where one hydrogen atom
is replaced in the end of the process by two deuterium atoms and U-235 from
U-238, where the percentage of the mass difference is even smaller. 

I would be interested on what principle the process works.

Regards,  Franz
Schoenhofer
Habichergasse 31/7
A-1160 WIEN
AUSTRIA/EUROPE
Tel./Fax:	+43-1-4955308
Tel.:		+43-664-3380333
e-mail:		schoenho@via.at