Analysis of hydrogen isotopes with a micro gas chromatograph

In the fuel cycle system of fusion reactors, analysis of hydrogen isotopes is very important from the view point of system control. The gas chromatogr aph (GC) with cryogenic separation column (cryogenic GC) is one of the most extensively used methods for the analysis of hydrogen isotopes. The micro GC with cryogenic column is expected to improve analysis time, that is a ma jor disadvantage of conventional GC. The present authors have modified the micro GC to use its separation column at cryogenic temperature for H-2, HD and D-2 mixture analysis. Obtained retention time of H-2, HD and D-2 was ab out 85, 100 and 130 s, respectively. Peak resolution between H-2 and HD, th ese are nearest each other, was about 1.0. These result suggests that the c olumn developed in this work attained the practical level for the separatio n of hydrogen isotopes without tritium. Present detection limit of hydrogen isotopes was about 100-200 p.p.m., and it can be improved further by adjus tment of separation column. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reser ved.