ISOTOPE SEPARATION BY AEROSOLIZATION

AEROSOLIZATION IS SHOWN TO BE A PARTICULARLY EFFECTIVE MEANSOF EXPLOITING THE PHYSICAL/CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF SURFACE PHASES TO EFFECT CHEMICAL SEPARATIONS, AND IT IS HEREIN PROPOSED AS A METHOD OF SEPARATING METAL ISOTOPES. THE TECHNIQUE REQUIRES ONLY THAT AN AEROSOLIZING GAS BE BUBBLED THROUGH A SOLUTION OF A STABLE COMPOUND OF THE ISOTOPIC SPECIES. THE AEROSOL DROPLETS FORMED BY THE BURSTING BUBBLES AT THE LIQUID SURFACE CAN QUITE EFFECTIVELY SEPARATETHE SURFACE PHASE FROM THE BULK LIQUID PHASE. THE AEROSOL IS THEN TRANSPORTED BY CARRIER GAS TO A FILTER WHERE THE SOLUTE IS CAPTURED. RESEARCH WITH ISOMERS PROVED THAT MIXTURE COMPOSITION CHANGES SIGNIFICANTLY UPON A SINGLE AEROSOLIZATION. EVIDENCE IS CITED TO SHOW THAT ISOTOPES MAYALSO BE SO SEPARATED. AEROSOLIZATION WORKS WITH A MORE PUREFILM PHASE THAN EITHER BUBBLE OR FOAM FRACTIONATION. THE ENRICHMENT IS EXPLAINED THROUGH GIBBS' ADSORPTION EQUATION. DIFFERENCES IN SURFACE TENSION STEMMING FROM DIFFERENT ISOTOPES CAUSE DIFFERENCES IN RELATIVE SOLUTE CONCENTRATIONS IN THE SURFACE AND BULK PHASES. THIS RESEARCH ON SEPARATION BY AEROSOLIZATION WILL PROVIDE FUNDAMENTAL INFORMATION ON THE EFFECT OF ISOTOPE MASS ON THE PROPERTIES OF SURFACE PHASES AS IT ALSO EXTENDS THE HORIZONS OF SEPARATION SCIENCE AND PRODUCES A NEW AND EFFICIENT METHOD OF ISOTOPE SEPARATION. IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE FIELD OF ISOTOPE SEPARATION. THIS HAS PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS FOR NUCLEAR POWER.