A compact hydrogen recycling system using metal hydrides

A gas recycling system to prevent losses of isotopically enriched hydrogen gas has been developed for the operation of a liquid target (2.7 l) used by the Radiative Muon Capture group at TRIUMF. The experimental requirements for high gas purity (chemical impurities below 10−9), low operating pressure (below 1 bar abs) and high loading pressure (about 10 bar needed for a palladium purifier) together with the usual hydrogen safety requirements were satisfied with a metal hydride storage device in combination with a small pump/compressor system. A description of the complete system together with its characteristic operational data are given in this paper.