Journal of Physical Chemistry B, Vol.106, No.5, 988-995, 2002
Li-7/Li-6 isotope separation on inorganic ion-exchangers and NMR study of the H+/Li+ ion-exchange reaction
The isotope separation between Li-7 and Li-6 was examined on several inorganic ion-exchangers that arc selective for lithium ions. The isotope separation coefficient, S(7/6), was measured by the batch method. The hydration property of lithium ions in the amorphous ion-exchangers was examined by the solid NMR and for crystalline ones either by the solid NMR or the X-ray diffraction analysis. The ion-exchangers that have high lithium ion selectivity had a tendency to enrich 6Li and resultant high S(7/6). The observed S(7/6) increased with increasing the degree of dehydration in the solid phase. Tile ion-exchangers that sorbed lithium ions in completely dehydrated state exhibited a high isotope separation coefficient, and the highest value of 1.04 was attained on cubic-HNbO3. The observed S(7/6) were accounted for the statistical isotope reduced partition function ratio (RPFR) of the vibrational mode for the isotopes of interest, f(7/6). The observed S(7/6) for cubic-HNbO3 was accounted for in the Raman spectrum data that reflect the vibrational energy state. The value 1.04 observed on cubic-HNbO3 was in consistent with the theoretical prediction. In addition, the theoretical (highest) Li-7/Li-6 isotope separation coefficient was estimated to be around 1.05 at 25 degreesC between aqueous solution and HMO3 (M = Sb, Nb, and Ta.) in which lithium ions were sorbed in the completely dehydrated state.