Hydrogen isotope separation systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023017076-A1
Application number	US-202217877167-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 29, 2022
Priority date	Jun 6, 2019
Publication date	Jan 19, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

Methods and systems for the separation of hydrogen isotopes from one another are described. Methods include utilization of a hydrogen isotope selective separation membrane that includes a hydrogen isotope selective layer (e.g., graphene) and a hydrogen ion conductive supporting layer. An electronic driving force encourages passage of isotopes selectively across the membrane at an elevated separation temperature to enrich the product in a selected hydrogen isotope.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for separation of hydrogen isotopes from one another, the system comprising:
a separation device, the separation device including
a feed chamber;
a product chamber; and
a separation membrane forming a gas-tight seal between the feed chamber and the product chamber, the separation membrane including a hydrogen isotope selective layer and a hydrogen ion conductive layer, the hydrogen isotope selective layer comprising an crystalline material, the hydrogen ion conductive layer comprising a hydrogen ion conductive ceramic, the separation membrane including a first side and an opposite second side, the first side facing the feed chamber and the second side facing the product chamber;
an electric circuit in electrical communication with the separation membrane and configured to apply a voltage between the first side and the second side of the separation membrane; and a heater configured to increase the temperature of the separation membrane.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen isotope selective layer comprises from 1 to about 5 atomic layers of the crystalline material.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the atomic layers of the hydrogen isotope selective layer comprise atoms in a hexagonal pattern.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the crystalline material comprises graphene, hexagonal boron nitride, or a transition metal chalcogenide.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen ion conductive layer comprises a perovskite type ceramic.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the perovskite type ceramic comprises BaZrO 3 , BaCeO 3 , SrCeO 3 , CaZrO 3 , SrZRO 3 , or BaCe 0.7 Zr 0.1 Y 0.1 Yb 0.1 O 3−δ .

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the perovskite type ceramic has the composition as follows:
A 1−x−α <P x B 1−y Q y O 3−δ
in which
A is a bivalent cation,
P is an A-site dopant,
B is a tetravalent cation,
Q is a B-site dopant,
α represents the A-site non-stoichiometry (deficiency), and
δ is an oxygen deficiency.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein A is Ba, Sr, Ca, Mg or combinations thereof and P is a cation.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein P belongs to the lanthanide series.

9 . The system of claim 9 , wherein P is Pr, Sm, or Er.

10 . The system of claim 7 , wherein B is an element in Group IV of the period table or is an element in the lanthanide series of the periodic table or a combination thereof.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein B is Ti, Zr, Ce, La, or a combination thereof.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein Q is an element in Group III of the period table or an element in the lanthanide series of the periodic table, or a combination thereof.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein Q is Sc, Y, Eu, Nd, Gd, Yb, or a combination thereof.

14 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the perovskite ceramic comprises BaZr 0.25 In 0.75 O 3−δ , BaZr 0.9 Y 0.1 O 3 , BaZr 0.85 Y 0.15 O 3 , Ba 0.97 Zr 0.77 Y 0.19 Zn 0.04 O 3 , BaZr 0.8 Y 0.2 O 3 , BaZr 0.5 In 0.5 O 3−δ , BaZr 0.1 Ce 0.7 Y 0.2 O 3−δ , BaCe 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 3 , BaCe 0.8 Zr 0.1 Gd 0.1 O 3 , BaCe 0.45 Zr 0.45 Sc 0.1 O 3 , BaCe 0.65 Zr 0.20 Y 0.15 O 3−δ , BaCe 0.9 Y 0.1 O 2.95 , BaCe 0.8 Y 0.2−x Nd x O 3−δ (x=0-0.15), Ba 0.5 Sr 0.5 Ce 0.6 Zr 0.2 Gd 0.1 Y 0.1 O 3−δ , BaSn 0.5 In 0.5 O 2.75 , Ba 0.9 La 0.1 Sn 0.5 In 0.5 O 2.8 , Ba 0.9 Gd 0.1 Sn 0.5 In 0.5 O 2.8 , SrCe 0.95 Yb 0.05 O 3 , Sr 3 CaZr 0.5 Ta 1.5 O 8.75 , CaZrO 3 , SrZrO 3 , BaTiO 3 , or Ce 0.9 Gd 0.1 O 2−δ .

15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a second separation membrane forming a gas-tight seal between the product chamber and a third chamber, a first side of the second separation membrane facing the product chamber and a second side of the second separation membrane facing the third chamber.

16 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a gas flow line to the sample chamber.

17 . The system of claim 1 , the hydrogen isotope selective layer further comprising a metal selected from Groups 8 to 10 of the periodic table.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the metal is present in a discontinuous fashion on a surface of the hydrogen isotope selective layer.

19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the crystalline material comprises graphene, the system further comprising an electrode, the electrode including the graphene of the crystalline material.

Assignees

• Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Llc
• Univ Clemson Res Foundation
• Georgia Tech Res Inst

Inventors

• Hitchcock Dale A
• Serkiz Steven M
• Krentz Timothy M
• Velten Josef A
• Brinkman Kyle S
• Volgel Eric M
• Young Katherine T

Classifications

• C01B4/00

  Hydrogen isotopes; Inorganic compounds thereof prepared by isotope exchange, e.g. NH3 + D2 → NH2D + HD · CPC title

• B01D59/14 Primary

  Construction of the barrier · CPC title

• B01D59/42 Primary

  by electromigration; by electrophoresis · CPC title

• B01D71/027

  Silicium oxide · CPC title

• B01D71/02

  Inorganic material · CPC title