Development of a tritium separation process using SDGC

A self-developing gas chromatography (SDGC) process using a column packed with Pd–4 at.% Pt alloy powder was studied for hydrogen isotope separation at room temperature. Separation experiments of a deuterium–tritium (50% D2–50% T2) mixture were carried out using the same SDGC column. The concentrations of tritium in the recovered hydrogen isotope gas were 80 and 75% at 50 and 70% recovery of tritium, respectively. The result of the deuterium–tritium separation experiments suggested considerable potential for the applicability of the SDGC column to the D–T separation process at room temperature.