The Tri-sorber manifold from IN/US Systems is a self-contained system for tritium handling that is safer and more efficient than the methods used in many radio-synthesis laboratories.
These include storage under pressure or manufacture by 'home-made' devices relying on fragile glass vacuum lines and mercury pumps.
Instead, Tri-sorber sequesters a stock of tritium on uranium metal as uranium tritide (UT3), releasing it as required by controlled heating and recovering any excess for later use.
To complete the process, it also has a temporary waste store where diluted and solvent-contaminated gas can be allowed to decay to harmless 3He.
Uranium has a remarkable capacity for tritium; 100 per cent enriched T2, the tritide formed from 1g of metal, has a tritium activity level of 363Ci.
With uranium metal having a density of 19.05 and that of UT3 being near 11, more tritium can be stored on uranium at atmospheric pressure and room temperature than can be stored in the same volume as a liquid.
The process is also more convenient than the storage of tritium gas under pressure.
To store 1mol of T2 in a 100cc cylinder requires a pressure of 3,350psi at room temperature; the same quantity can be stored as UT3 at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in a volume of less than 20cc.
The Tri-sorber manifold is made entirely of stainless steel with fixed elements interconnected via orbital butt welding.
Face-seal vacuum couplings are employed where sections may be taken apart.
Packingless high-vacuum bellows valves are used throughout.
Sensors continuously monitor temperature and pressure, while automatic cut-outs prevent safe limits being exceeded.
The vacuum pump incorporates an automatic shut-off valve that isolates the system when it is not in service.
