Concurrent separation of lithium and hydrogen isotopes

A method of concurrently separating lithium-6 from lithium-7 and light hydrogen from deuterium, said method comprising,

• partially electrolyzing a lithium hydroxide solution in a mercury cell to provide evolved oxygen, lithium amalgam and remaining lithium hydroxide solution, said lithium amalgam being enriched in lithium-6,
• reacting said lithium metal amalgam with water to provide lithium hydroxide solution and hydrogen,
• removing the evolved hydrogen, said solution of lithium hydroxide being enriched in both deuterium and lithium-6 and
• repeating said method in a plurality of stages which in composite form a cascade, said method being performed once in each stage, to provide continually increasing enrichment of said lithium hydroxide solution with respect to both deuterium and lithium-6.

A method of concurrently separating lithium-6 from lithium-7 and light hydrogen from deuterium, said method comprising,

• partially electrolyzing a saturated lithium hydroxide solution in a mercury cell to provide evolved oxygen, lithium amalgam and remaining lithium hydroxide solution, said lithium amalgam being enriched in lithium-6 and correspondingly said remaining lithium hydroxide solution being depleted in lithium-6 with respect to said amalgam,
• removing said remaining lithium hydroxide solution from said mercury cell,
• evaporating to dryness a part of said remaining lithium hydroxide solution to provide a residue of lithium-6 depleted lithium hydroxide and water vapor,
• condensing said water vapor,
• reacting said water vapor with said lithium amalgam to provide evolved hydrogen, mercury and a lithium hydroxide solution, said lithium hydroxide solution being enriched with respect to both lithium-6 and deuterium.