Distribution of Hydrogen Isotopes between Phases at Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium in Aqueous Salt Solutions.

A single separation effect between deuterium and protium was studied experimentally under phase equilibrium conditions in a water vapor–water salt solution system at temperatures from 59 to 94°C. The vapor–liquid equilibrium was investigated by the dynamic method in a Bushmakin device. The presence of urea in water significantly increased the separation coefficient αL–V in the given temperature range. The characteristic increase in the relative volatility coefficient of the hydrogen isotopes of water remained unchanged at lower temperatures in the presence of salts. The isotope salt effects, both negative and positive, increased with the salt concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]