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Using either single H2 and D2 or H2-D2 mixed gases, the sorption abilities of CHA (chabazite)-type zeolites ion-exchanged with K, Na, or Ca were studied at 77, 201, and 250 K. The LTA (Linde Type A) (3A) and FAU (faujasite)-type zeolites were also examined for comparison. The pore diameters in these materials were found to decrease on the order of FAU > Ca-CHA > [K-CHA, Na-CHA, and LTA(3A)]. The quantities of D2 adsorbed on these zeolites were larger than the amounts of H2. At higher temperatures, the CHA-type zeolites having smaller pores exhibited superior D2/H2 selectivity compared with the LTA(3A) and FAU, suggesting that hydrogen isotope separation using zeolites is affected by pore size.

Single Ti and Ni metals, their intermetallic phases (stable and unstable) and alloys along the Ti-Ni phase diagram, have been investigated as cathode materials for separation of hydrogen isotopes (protium and deuterium, H/D) by water electrolysis from alkaline solutions. The HID separation factors obtained were compared with the hydridic features and electrocatalytic properties for the hydrogen evolution (HER), enthalpies of intermetallic formation, and in common with similar behavior of transition elements along the Periodic Table, therefrom a close correlation amongst them resulted. The Ti-Ni intermetallic phases, as hypo-hyper-d-electronic combination of transition metals, obey typical volcano plots for all the mutually compared properties along their phase diagram. The TiNi3 alloy with an average d(8)-electronic configuration creates maximal electrocatalytic activity for both hydrogen evolution and HID electrochemical separation processes, as well as maximal enthalpy of formation. At the same time the best hydridic intermetallic phases (Ti2Ni and TiNi) and alloys (between d(4) and d(5)) exhibit lower values upon each specific curve. The similarity between those properties suggests that, alike along individual transition series, there exist the same electronic configuration causes which correlate them and determine the whole electrode kinetics. (C) 2000 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.