Process for the production of water or hydrogen having an increased deuterium content

Claim 1

IN A METHOD FOR INCREASING THE DEUTERIUM CONTENT IN A DEUTERIUM CONTAINING SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN AND WATER COMPRISING PASSING STREAMS OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN AND LIQUID WATER UNDER SUPERATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE COUNTERCURRENT TO EACH OTHER SERIALLY THROUGH A HOT AND A COLD COLUMN IN THE PRESENCE OF A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE PLATINUM GROUP METALS AND NICKEL, THE LIQUID WATER FIRST PASSING THROUGH THR COLD COLUMN AND THEN PASSING THROUGH THE HOT COLUMN AND THE MOLECULAR HYDROGEN FIRST PASSING THROUGH THE HOT COLUMN AND THEN PASSING THROUGH THE COLD COLUMN AND WITHDRAWING A DEUTERIUM CONTAINING SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN AND WATER ENRICHED IN DEUTERIUM FROM ONE OF THE STREAMS AT A POINT BETWEEN THE TWO COLUMNS, THE STEP WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID CATALYST THROUGH THE TWO COLUMNS IN A CLOSED CIRCUIT IN THE FORM OF A DISPERSION IN SAID WATER FLOWING THROUGH THE COLUMNS.