Isotope Separation by Distillation: Design of a Carbon-13 Plant

This isotope separating plant has a great height with many long columns in parallel, low process flows compared with its boil-up, and a long time response. All these features result from dealing with a mixture whose separation factor is near unity, the carbon monoxide system. Considering that there are three isotopes of oxygen involved, six molecular species are being separated. Although CO molecules are unreacting within the columns, an exchange reactor is used when the separation is partially complete to assist in obtaining high quality product. These considerations have been formulated in a good theoretical design procedure along with excellent mechanical design, fabrication and assembly to yield a plant of high performance for carbon-13 production.