以N2为介质气体扩散法生产15N技术研究

Research on Production of 15N Isotope with N2 by Gas Diffusion Method

  • 摘要: 稳定同位素15N广泛应用于大气示踪、农林业研究、产地溯源等领域的研究分析。氮气(N2)价格低廉,物理化学性质稳定,是分离15N的理想介质。气体扩散法具有流量大、运行维护成本低等优点,且适用于分离N2等分子量相对较小的气体。清华大学技术物理研究所通过前期的研究与实验,选出了合适的有机高分子膜制成气体扩散法专用膜管。本文通过单级和四级级联实验,开展了以N2为介质通过气体扩散法分离15N同位素的研究,并将自主研发的高速磁悬浮压缩机用于四级级联中的气体补压。结果显示,单级系统分离系数可以达到1.016,四级级联全分离系数可以达到1.057。实验结果证明了N2为介质扩散法分离15N同位素具备可行性。

     

    Abstract: There are two natural stable isotopes of nitrogen, 14N and 15N, with isotopic abundances of 99.636% and 0.364%. 15N is widely used in research and analysis in atmospheric tracing, agricultural and forestry research, and origin tracing. Nitrogen (N2) is an ideal medium for separating 15N due to its low price and stable physical and chemical properties. The gas diffusion method boasts high flow rates and reliability. For gases with relatively small molecular weights such as N2, the gas diffusion method can achieve higher separation coefficients. The advancement of polymer membrane can significantly reduce the equipment costs of the gas diffusion process, leading to better efficiency of gas diffusion separation. The Institute of Technical Physics at Tsinghua University selected appropriate organic polymer membranes, and made it into multi-layer tubular membranes. Tubular membranes are used into manufacture separators, which are manufactured into the gas diffusion separation of various stable isotopes. A four-stage diffusion cascade was designed and constructed, and separation experiments for multiple isotopes such as 13C and 28Si were conducted on this cascade in Institute of Technical Physics. High-speed maglev compressors were applied in the four-stage cascade for gas pressurization. The compressors were independently developed by the Institute of Technical Physics, and have demonstrated good performance in practical applications. Based on the preliminary work of Institute of Technical Physics, single-stage and four-stage diffusion experiments using N2 as the medium to separate 15N were conducted to investigate the fluid performance parameters, separation coefficient, etc. In single-stage diffusion experiments, the pressure ratio across the membrane and the split ratio were controlled by adjusting valves, and in four-stage diffusion experiments, which was controlled by adjusting the speed of maglev compressors, and the split ratio was controlled by adjusting the reflux flow of the first stage and the fourth stage. The experimental results show that when controlling the feed pressure at 2.67 kPa and pressure ratio across the membrane at 4.2, the overall separation factor of the single-stage platform could reach 1.016. When controlling the feed pressure at 2.69 kPa and pressure ratio across the membrane at 3.9, the overall separation factor of the four-stage cascade could reach 1.057. The experimental results prove that it’s feasible to use N2 as a medium to separate 15N isotope by gas diffusion. The follow-up plan is to expand the scale of cascade to explore the economic feasibility of separating 15N using N2 as a medium.

     

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