Tritium properties

Helium-3 [14762-55-1], He, has been known as a stable isotope since the middle 1930s and it was suspected that its properties were markedly different from the common isotope, helium-4. The development of nuclear fusion devices in the 1950s yielded workable quantities of pure helium-3 as a decay product from the large tritium inventory implicit in maintaining an arsenal of fusion weapons (see Deuterium AND TRITIUM) Helium-3 is one of the very few stable materials where the only practical source is nuclear transmutation. The chronology of the isolation of the other stable isotopes of the hehum-group gases has been summarized (4). 

Tables 2,3, and 4 outline many of the physical and thermodynamic properties ofpara- and normal hydrogen in the sohd, hquid, and gaseous states, respectively. Extensive tabulations of all the thermodynamic and transport properties hsted in these tables from the triple point to 3000 K and at 0.01—100 MPa (1—14,500 psi) are available (5,39). Additional properties, including accommodation coefficients, thermal diffusivity, virial coefficients, index of refraction, Joule-Thorns on coefficients, Prandti numbers, vapor pressures, infrared absorption, and heat transfer and thermal transpiration parameters are also available (5,40). Thermodynamic properties for hydrogen at 300—20,000 K and 10 Pa to 10.4 MPa (lO " -103 atm) (41) and transport properties at 1,000—30,000 K and 0.1—3.0 MPa (1—30 atm) (42) have been compiled. Enthalpy—entropy tabulations for hydrogen over the range 3—100,000 K and 0.001—101.3 MPa (0.01—1000 atm) have been made (43). Many physical properties for the other isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium) have also been compiled (44).

In addition to H2, D2, and molecular tritium [100028-17-8] the following isotopic mixtures exist HD [13983-20-5] HT [14885-60-0] and DT [14885-61-1]. Table 5 Hsts the vapor pressures of normal H2, D2, and T2 at the respective boiling points and triple points. As the molecular weight of the isotope increases, the triple point and boiling point temperatures also increase. Other physical constants also differ for the heavy isotopes. A 98% ortho—25/q deuterium mixture (the low temperature form) has the following critical properties = 1.650 MPa(16.28 atm), = 38.26 K, 17 = 60.3 cm/mol3... 

Thermodynamic Properties. Ordinary water contains three isotopes of hydrogen [1333-74-0] (qv), ie, H, H, and H, and three of oxygen [7782 4-7] (qv), ie, O, and The bulk of water is composed of and O. Tritium [15086-10-9] H, and are present only in extremely minute concentrations, but there is about 200-ppm deuterium [16873-17-9], H, and 1000-ppm in water and steam (see Deuterium and tritium). The thermodynamic properties of heavy water are subtly different from those of ordinary water. lAPWS has special formulations for heavy water. The properties given herein are for ordinary water having the usual mix of isotopes. 

Properties of Light and Heavy Hydrogen. Vapor pressures from the triple point to the critical point for hydrogen, deuterium, tritium, and the various diatomic combinations are Hsted in Table 1 (15). Data are presented for the equiUbrium and normal states. The equiUbrium state for these substances is the low temperature ortho—para composition existing at 20.39 K, the normal boiling point of normal hydrogen. The normal state is the high (above 200 K) temperature ortho—para composition, which remains essentially constant. 

Tritium is the subject of various reviews (6—8), and a book (9) provides a comprehensive survey of the preparation, properties, and uses of tritium compounds. Selected physical properties for molecular tritium, are given in Table 1. 

Properties of T2O. Some important physical properties of T2O are Hsted in Table 2. Tritium oxide [14940-65-9] can be prepared by catalytic oxidation of T2 or by reduction of copper oxide using tritium gas. T2O, even of low (2—19% T) isotopic abundance, undergoes radiation decomposition to form HT and O2. Decomposition continues, even at 77 K, when the water is fro2en. Pure tritiated water irradiates itself at the rate of 10 MGy/d (10 rad/d). A stationary concentration of tritium peroxide, T2O2, is always present (9). AH of these factors must be taken into account in evaluating the physical constants of a particular sample of T2O. 

Most of the chemical properties of tritium are common to those of the other hydrogen isotopes. However, notable deviations in chemical behavior result from isotope effects and from enhanced reaction kinetics induced by the ( -emission in tritium systems. Isotope exchange between tritium and other hydrogen isotopes is an interesting manifestation of the special chemical properties of tritium. 

Hydrogen as it occurs in nature is predominantly composed of atoms in which the nucleus is a single proton. In addition, terrestrial hydrogen contains about 0.0156% of deuterium atoms in which the nucleus also contains a neutron, and this is the reason for its variable atomic weight (p. 17). Addition of a second neutron induces instability and tritium is radioactive, emitting low-energy particles with a half-life of 12.33 y. Some characteristic properties of these 3 atoms are given in Table 3.1, and their implications for stable isotope studies, radioactive tracer studies, and nmr spectroscopy are obvious. 

Table 3.1 Atomic properties of hydrogen (protium), deuterium, and tritium...

D2O and the tritium analogue T2O (p. 41). The high bp is notable (cf. H2S, etc.) as is the temperature of maximum density and its marked dependence on the isotopic composition of water. The high dielectric constant and measurable ionic dissociation equilibrium are also unusual and important properties. The ionic mobilities of [H30] and [OH] in water are abnormally high (350 X 10 " and 192 x 10 cms per V cm... 

Because isotopes of the same element have the same number of protons and the same number of electrons, they have essentially the same chemical and physical properties. However, the mass differences between isotopes of hydrogen are comparable to the masses themselves, leading to noticeable differences in some physical properties and slight variations in some of their chemical properties. Hydrogen has three isotopes (Table B.2). The most common ( H) has no neutrons so its nucleus is a lone proton. The other two isotopes are less common but nevertheless so important in chemistry and nuclear physics that they are given special names and symbols. One isotope (2H) is called deuterium (D) and the other ( H) is called tritium (T). 

Electronically excited states of organic molecules, acid-base properties of, 12,131 Energetic tritium and carbon atoms, reactions of, with organic compounds, 2, 201 Enolisation of simple carbonyl compounds and related reactions, 18,1 Entropies of activation and mechanisms of reactions in solution, 1,1 Enzymatic catalysis, physical organic model systems and the problem of, 11, 1 Enzyme action, catalysis of micelles, membranes and other aqueous aggregates as models of, 17. 435... 

Electronically excited states of organic molecules, acid-base properties of, 12, 131 Energetic tritium and carbon atoms, reactions of, with organic compounds, 2, 201... 

Tritium, 5 456-480 23 759 analytical methods, 5 477-478 chemical properties, 5 472-474 health and safety factors, 5 478-479 natural production and occurrence, 5 474-475... 

Isotopes of hydrogen. Three isotopes of hydrogen are known H, 2H (deuterium or D), 3H (tritium or T). Isotope effects are greater for hydrogen than for any other elements (and this may by a justification for the different names), but practically the chemical properties of H, D and T are nearly identical except in matters such as rates and equilibrium constants of reactions (see Tables 5.1a and 5.1b). Molecular H2 and D2 have two forms, ortho and para forms in which the nuclear spins are aligned or opposed, respectively. This results in very slight differences in bulk physical properties the two forms can be separated by gas chromatography. 

TRITIUM AGING EFFECTS ON THE FRACTURE TOUGHNESS PROPERTIES OF FORGED STAINLESS STEEL... 

Tritium and its decay product, helium, change the structural properties of stainless steels and make them more susceptible to cracking. Tritium embrittlement is an enhanced form of hydrogen embrittlement because of the presence of He from tritium decay which nucleates as nanometer-sized bubbles on dislocations, grain boundaries, and other microstructural defects. Steels with decay helium bubble microstructures are hardened and less able to deform plastically and become more susceptible to embrittlement by hydrogen and its isotopes (1-7). 

Tritium Aging Effects on the Fracture Toughness Properties of Forged Stainless Steel... 

The purpose of this study was to measure and compare the fracture toughness properties of Type 21-6-9 stainless steel for high-energy-rate and conventional forgings in the unexposed, hydrogen-exposed and tritium-exposed-and-aged conditions. 

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