Process for hydrogen isotope exchange and concentration between liquid water and hydrogen gas and catalyst assembly therefor

Claim 1

A BITHERMAL, CATALYTIC, ISOTOPE EXCHANGE PROCESS FOR HYDROGEN ISOTOPE CONCENTRATION BETWEEN LIQUID WATER AND HYDROGEN GAS, COMPRISING: A. CONTACTING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE 15*C TO 70*C, IN A FIRST SECTION LIQUID FEED WATER AND, THE HYDROGEN GAS FROM A SECOND SECTION WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE METAL SELECTED FROM GROUP VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE SO THAT THE DEUTERIUM ISOTOPE OF HYDROGEN IS TRANSFERRED TO AND CONCENTRATED IN THE LIQUID WATER PASSING THROUGH AND LEAVING THE FIRST SECTION ROM THE HYDROGEN GAS PASSING THROUGH AND LEAVING THE FIRST SECTION, IN EITHER COUNTER-CURRENT OR COCURRENT FLOW, B. CONTACTING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE 150*C TO 200*C, IN A SECOND SECTION PRESSURIZED TO KEEP WATER LIQUEFIED, THE LIQUID WATER FROM THE FIRST SECTION AND THE HYDROGEN GAS, PASSING TO THE FIRST SECTION, WITH ONE ANOTHER AND WITH A CATALYST CONSISTING OF AT LEAST ONE CATALYTICALLY ACTIVE METAL SELECTED FROM GROUP VIII OF THE PERIODIC TABLE SO THAT THE HYDROGEN ISOTOPE DEUTERIUM IS TRANSFERRED TO AND CONCENTRATED IN THE HYDROGEN LEAVING THE SECOND SECTION FROM THE LIQUID WATER PASSING THROUGH THE SECOND SECTION, AND C. WITHDRAWING FROM BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS PORTION OF THE LIQUID WATER HAVING THE HYDROGEN ISOTOPE DEUTERIUM CONCENTRATED THEREIN OR THE HYDROGEN GAS HAVING THE HYDROGEN ISOTOPE DEUTERIUM CONCENTRATED THEREIN, AND WHEREIN THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISES: D. THE CATALYST IS PROVIDED IN THE FIRST AND SECOND SECTIONS AS AT LEAST ONE CATALYST ASSEMBLY, AND COMPRISES THE CATALYST AND A SUBSTANTIALLY LIQUID-WATER-REPELLENT ORGANIC RESIN OR POLYMER COATING THEREON, WHICH IS PERMEABLE TO WATER VAPOUR AND HYDROGEN GAS, WHEREBY: E. EACH CATALYST ASSEMBLY CAUSES HYDROGEN ISOTOPE EXCHANGE AND CONCENTRATION TO OCCUR AS FOLLOWS: HD GAS + HEO VAPOUR CATALYST H2 GAS + HDO VAPOUR, AND HDO VAPOUR + H2O LIQUID LIQUID WATER HDO LIQUID + H2O VAPOUR SO THAT DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE CATALYST METAL AND LIQUID WATER AND WETTING OF THE CATALYST IS RETARDED BY THE ORGANIC POLYMER OR RESIN COATING, THEREBY RETARDING POISONING OF THE CATALYST BY THE LIQUID WATER.