Re: D2O & DOH (was C14 Decay rates)

[Brian Whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 09:56 PM 12/12/01, Larry wrote:
> Brian Whatcott wrote:
> > More nit-picking:
> >   heavy water is found at concs of 1:7000 in domestic water.
> > (It has a higher boiling point than H2O, so I imagine specifying distilled
> > tap water would somewhat enrich it.)
> > 1 kg of tap water would include 1/7 g of D2O then.
> > That's about 143 mg. If the electrolysis sacrificed 3% of the D2O along
> > with 97% of the H2O, one would have about 127 mg D20 remaining
> > per kg domestic water, not 35 mg when 99.95% purity is obtained.
>
> The 1:7000 figure is the natural ratio of deuterium/protium, not
> D2O/H2O.  There are two forms of H-2 heavy water, D2O and DOH (singly
> deuterated water, one particle each of deuterium, oxygen and protium).
> The natural occurrence of *both* forms is between 1:6700 - 1:7100
> (140-150 ppm).  Less than 1/4 of the total heavy water is D2O.  In the
> production of D2O heavy water, both the H2O and DOH are discarded.  The
> maxiumum D2O yield is 30-35 ppm....
>
> Larry
>
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Larry Cartwright


Well, I'll be blessed! Another fictional fact I have been relaying for years.
I must look for the reason why my data books quote physical constants
(like boiling point) for heavy water, vs light water.

And you were kind enough not to notice that I did not propose that  distilled
water would  possibly be somewhat impoverished, not enriched in
D2 ..er.. heavy water.  (Three nots in one proposition: not bad, eh?)

It was indeed a pretty puzzle.



Brian Whatcott
  Altus OK                      Eureka!