Method of separating isotopes
AssigneeFramatome ANP GmbH
InventorsMarc Lemaire, Jacques Foos, Alain Guy, Frederic Chitry, Stephane Pellet-Rostaing, Olivier Vigneau
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Abstract
A process in which isotopes of the same element belonging to the alkaline earth metals, transition elements and heavy metals having an atomic mass of less than 209, in particular lanthanide metals, are separated in an aqueous medium by treating an aqueous medium.
Claims38
A process for separating, in an aqueous medium, isotopes of the same element belonging to the lanthanide metals, which process comprises (a) treating an aqueous medium comprising isotopes of an element, said isotopes being in the form of a salt and having positive charges in ionic form, with an organic ligand which is in ionic form in the aqueous medium and has the same number of negative charges as the isotopes in the ionic form has of positive charges, said ligand being designed to bind preferentially to at least one of the isotopes of the element;
- and (b) separating between isotopes which have complexed to the ligand and isotopes which have not complexed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.