Synthesis of radioactive materials and compositions of same
AssigneesWilliam Marsh Rice University, BetaBatt, Inc.
InventorsLarry L. Gadeken, Paul S. Engel, Kenneth S. Laverdure
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Abstract
The present invention relates generally to synthesis of radioactive material, such as a tritiated polymer, and an apparatus for generating electrical current from the nuclear decay process of a radioactive material. In one embodiment, the invention relates to an energy cell (e.g., a battery) for generating electrical current derived from particle emissions occurring within a radioactive material such as a tritiated polymer) on pore walls of a porous semiconductor. The radioactive material may be introduced into the energy cell by a wetting process.
Claims19
A process comprising:
- (a) selecting a liquid polymer, wherein the liquid polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(vinylacetylene), TMS poly(vinylacetylene), and poly(vinyldiacetylene);
- and
- (b) tritiating the liquid polymer to yield a tritiated liquid polymer, wherein
- (i) the tritiated liquid polymer has a ratio of tritium atoms to carbon atoms of at least about 1:1, and
- (ii) the tritiating of the liquid polymer in step (b) comprises a method selected from the group consisting of addition, substitution, and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.