Deuterium (D), also known as heavy hydrogen, is a stable isotope of hydrogen atom. Deuteration reaction is a reaction in which hydrogen in organic compound molecules is replaced by its isotope deuterium. Its abundance on the earth is 0.015%, and its content in ordinary hydrogen is very small, and most of it exists in seawater and ordinary water in the form of D2O (deuterium oxide) as an important raw material and deuterium intermediate. The product is widely used in nuclear magnetic resonance, biological medicine, photoelectric materials, scientific research and detection, OLED display and other fields.
The main purpose of heavy water is to act as a "moderator" in the nuclear reactor, reduce the neutron speed, control the nuclear fission process, and is also a coolant. Heavy water and deuterium are valuable tracer materials in the study of chemical and physiological changes. For example, irrigation of trees with dilute heavy water can measure that water in these plants can run for tens of meters to tens of meters per hour. Determine the deuterium content in the urine of people who have drunk a large amount of dilute and heavy water. It is known that the average retention time of water molecules in the human body is 14 days. Using deuterium instead of ordinary hydrogen can study the digestion and metabolism of animals and plants. Dense or pure heavy water cannot maintain the life of animals and plants, and the lethal concentration of heavy water to general animals and plants is 60%.
The special value of heavy water is reflected in the application of atomic energy technology. To produce powerful nuclear weapons, heavy water is needed as a moderator in the nuclear fission reaction.
Heavy water for nuclear power plant
When using nuclear magnetic resonance analysis, if the solvent is water and the object of study is hydrogen, heavy water can be used as the solvent. Neutron moderator: Some nuclear reactors use heavy water to slow down the speed of neutrons, giving them the chance to react with uranium. Light water can also be used as a moderator, but because light water can absorb neutrons, the light water reactor must use enriched uranium instead of ordinary uranium, otherwise it will not reach the critical mass. The heavy water reactor can not only use ordinary uranium, but also convert uranium-238 into plutonium for nuclear bombs. India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea all make nuclear fuel in this way. In order to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons, the production and sale of heavy water are restricted in many countries.
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