Lithium isotope separation with displacement chromatography using crown ether resin immobilized on porous silica beads

A crown ether resin immobilized on porous silica beads was investigated as a chromatographic packing for lithium isotope separation by displacement chromatography. In order to develop an effective chromatographic packing, effects of the diameter of the packing particle on the transport phenomena in the particle were investigated by numerical simulation. Transient change of the concentration profiles in the both solution phase and resin phase were obtained and lithium-6 enrichment in the resin phase was well simulated. A dimensionless coefficient, which represents a ratio of the diffusive mass transfer rate to the adsorption rate, was found in the mass balance equation. The magnitude of the factor was also evaluated for various values of diameter of the packing particle.