Separating Isotopes by Liquid Centrifuge

Yuan Yang

Columbia University

Tuesday, October 24, 2023

12:00pm

NW17-218 Hybrid

PSFC Seminars

Abstract: Enriched isotopes are critical to wide applications, such as nuclear reactors (e.g., ^6/7Li, D), radiology (e.g., ¹⁸O), and fundamental sciences (e.g., tracer and synthesizing superheavy elements). Current methods, such as gas centrifuge, often require hazardous precursors and have limited applicability. I will talk about a general method of separating isotopes by centrifuging a liquid (e.g., salt solution). This technique can be applied to the majority of elements and does not require gasification of isotopes. We have demonstrated high separation factors of 1.046-1.067 per unit neutron difference (e.g., 1.434 in 40Ca/48Ca, 1.134 in 16O/18O), which are better than or comparable to various conventional methods. The method has been applied to isotopes of H, Li, O, Ca, Zn and Mo and the experimental results are consistent with modeling. Potentials and challenges will also be discussed.

Bio: Dr. Yuan Yang is currently an associate professor of materials science in the department of applied physics and applied mathematics at Columbia University. He received his B.S. in physics at Peking University in 2007, followed by Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at Stanford University in 2012. After three years as a postdoc in the department of mechanical engineering at MIT, he joined Columbia University in 2015. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed papers with a total citation over 30,000 times. He is a Scialog fellow on Advanced Energy Storage and a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in 2020-2023. He won Materials Today Rising Star Award in 2022, 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award in 2021, and MIT Technology Review 35 under 35 – China in 2019.