Deuterium production by exchange reaction of heavy water and hydrogen on reduced MoO₃/SiO₂ catalyst

Abstract

Gas mixture of D₂O(g) and H₂(g) was applied to obtain D₂(g) in D₂O(g)+H₂(g)→H₂O(g)+D₂ system using reduced MoO₃/SiO₂ catalyst. When the gas mixture was contacted onto the MoOx/SiO₂ catalyst, HD was dominantly observed in the first stage of the reaction. Further contacting the gas mixture onto the catalyst,  concentration of D₂ was graduarly increased. Finally deuterim concentration (D%) was reached around 90%. Thus D₂, one of useful stable isotopes, was readily obtained by exchange reaction of H₂ and D₂O(g).