Efficient two-stage laser enrichment up to 99% of carbon-13 isotope by IR multiphoton dissociation of Freon molecules

• Published in: Quantum electronics (Woodbury, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2022-04, Vol.52 (4), p.371-375
• Main Authors: Laptev, V.B., Pigul’skii, S.V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 13C-enriched Freon-12B2; Carbon 13; Enrichment; Freons; Infrared lasers; laser enrichment; Lasers; selective ‘burning-out’ of a 12C-containing component; Selectivity
• ISSN: 1063-7818; 1468-4799
• DOI: 10.1070/QEL18025

A new method for two-stage laser enrichment of carbon-13 ( 13 C) by isotope-selective IR multiphoton dissociation of Freon molecules is considered, which makes it possible to achieve a concentration of 13 C up to 99 % or higher with high productivity. At the first stage, as a result of the selective dissociation of CF 2 HCl (Freon-22) molecules, it is expected to obtain a C 2 F 4 dissociation product enriched in 13 C up to 30 % – 50 %. At the second stage, CF 2 Br 2 (Freon-12B2) is proposed to be used as a working substance, which is synthesised from enriched C 2 F 4 , and the enrichment process is carried out by selective deep ‘burning-out’ of the 12 C-containing component. Experiments on multiphoton dissociation of Freon-12B2 with an initial 13 CF 2 Br 2 concentration of 30 % in a mixture with oxygen by pulsed CO 2 laser radiation are performed. It is shown that reaching a 13 CF 2 Br 2 concentration of no lower than 99 % is possible at high values of the elementary separation act parameters: 15 % – 18 % dissociation yield and 40 – 75 selectivity for 12 CF 2 Br 2 molecules.