A Chemical Exchange System for Isotopic Feed to a Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotope Separation Plant

A process has been developed to provide isotopic feed to a nitric oxide isotope distillation plant. Central to the process is the isotopic chemical exchange of NO and nitric acid in countercurrent flows in a 3-in. diameter packed column. An isotopically depleted stream of NO is reenriched to natural isotopic abundances by the exchange and is recycled as feed back to the distillation columns. Makeup NO is generated in another column from sulfur dioxide and nitric acid. Multistage gas purifiers reduce condensible impurities in the nitric oxide below 10 ppm. The process operates unattended at flow rates of 0.5 to 2 mol/min. The new NO recycle-enrichment and generation processes have successfully provided the feedstock for the NO isotope separation columns for over 6 years.