Method of separating isotope compounds by selective excitation and reaction in a solid matrix

Claim 1

In a method for the separation of an isotope substance from a vaporous mixture of isotope substances, by selective excitation at low temperatures of one isotope compound by electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength and energy density to effect a chemical reaction between the excited one isotope compound and an added reaction partner to produce a reaction product the improvement comprising: (a) adiabatically expanding a body of the vaporous mixture of isotope compounds separate from the vaporous reaction partner to cool the mixture of isotope compounds to a temperature below 100K., (b) adiabatically expanding a body of vaporous reaction partner in excess of that required for reaction with the excited isotope compound, separate from the vaporous mixture of isotope compounds to cool the vaporous reaction partner to a temperature below 100K., (c) mixing the cooled mixture of isotope compounds and the cooled reaction partner together in a zone at a temperature below 100K., (d) condensing the reaction partner in the zone to form particles of solid matter, into which particles of the mixture of isotope compounds are incorporated, (e) subjecting the solid matter of reaction partner and mixture of isotope compounds to electromagnetic radiation to selectively excite the one isotope compound and effect selective reaction of the excited isotope compound with the condensed reaction partner to produce a reaction product which contains predominantly the one isotope, and (f) separating a compound of the one isotope from the reaction mixture.