4 ms·
"Nuclear transmutation of elements is now quite common; unfortunately nobody has figured out how to get just the desired isotopic species of an single element f
by hutzlibu 4y ago
"Nuclear transmutation of elements is now quite common; unfortunately nobody has figured out how to get just the desired isotopic species of an single element from nuclear reaction instead of a pile of unstable isotopes of mixed elemental identity."
I think centrifugation would get the job done, but it is just not worth the effort at those small quantities.
- adrian_b 4y agoA mass spectrometer can separate perfectly any isotopes from any mixture or chemical substance (by deflecting the ions in electromagnetic fields), but the rate at which this is done is too small for producing usable quantities in a reasonable time and with an acceptable energy consumption.