ZrCo Metal-Foam Tritium Purification, Getter and Storage Beds
Zirconium-cobalt alloy on an open-cell metal-foam support captures hydrogen isotopes from inert gas at room temperature and releases them on heating. Each bed is engineered to your gas, inventory and duty cycle.
Quick answer
The IAS-ZCF series are tritium purification, getter and storage beds that use zirconium-cobalt (ZrCo) alloy supported on open-cell metal foam. ZrCo absorbs hydrogen isotopes (H, D, T) from inert carrier gas at room temperature, down to a plateau pressure of about 10⁻³ Pa, and releases them when heated. The metal foam spreads heat and holds the alloy in place. Each bed is engineered to the project and priced on quotation. Metal-hydride hydrogen-isotope purification systems are export-controlled nuclear dual-use items.
What a ZrCo purification bed does
Tritium systems need to pull hydrogen isotopes out of a gas stream, store them safely and deliver them again. Examples are a helium purge, a glovebox or process loop, or a fuel-cycle stream. ZrCo does this by chemistry rather than filtration. At room temperature the alloy absorbs H₂, D₂, T₂ and HT to form the hydride ZrCoH₃. Heating the bed later releases the gas for recovery, transfer or storage.
- Capture: gas flows through the bed at near-room temperature; hydrogen isotopes are absorbed and the cleaned carrier gas leaves the bed.
- Store: tritium stays bound as a hydride at a very low equilibrium pressure, which is safer than storing it as gas.
- Release: the bed is heated, typically under vacuum or into an evacuated receiver, and the hydrogen isotopes are recovered.
Why zirconium-cobalt
ZrCo was selected for the ITER tritium storage and delivery system as an alternative to depleted uranium. Published reviews give the reasons:
- Not radioactive and low pyrophoricity, unlike uranium, which is radioactive, pyrophoric and regulated as nuclear material.
- Very low absorption plateau pressure at room temperature (about 10⁻³ Pa), so it can pull hydrogen isotopes down to low levels.
- High release pressure at moderate temperature, so stored gas can be delivered without extreme heating.
- Good retention of helium-3 produced by tritium decay.
Why a metal-foam support
A metal-hydride bed has two practical problems: heat (absorption is exothermic, desorption needs heat) and powder (hydride alloys break into fine particles over cycling). An open-cell metal foam matrix addresses both: its continuous metal ligaments conduct heat through the whole bed, and its cells hold the alloy in place with a uniform, low-resistance gas path. In a published comparison of small ZrCo beds, the copper-foam bed gave more uniform heating during desorption and removed absorption heat more effectively than a copper-fin bed.
Applications
- Recovery of hydrogen isotopes from helium or argon purge and carrier gas
- Tritium storage and delivery beds for fusion fuel cycles and tritium laboratories
- Clean-up of inert process and glovebox loops (with upstream impurity removal)
- Temporary tritium storage during maintenance and decommissioning
- Research on hydrogen-isotope handling, including deuterium test rigs
For tritiated water (HTO), a ZrCo bed alone is not the answer. Detritiation systems usually combine catalytic oxidation with water adsorption, and getter beds handle elemental hydrogen isotopes.
Specifications: engineered per project
We do not publish one-size ratings, because capacity, flow and temperatures depend entirely on your gas and duty. Each proposal states these values for your bed:
| Parameter | How it is set |
|---|---|
| Hydrogen-isotope capacity / ZrCo inventory | Sized to your inventory and cycle |
| Carrier gas | Typically helium or argon; impurities reviewed per project |
| Gas flow and pressure | Per project |
| Inlet and target outlet concentration | Per project |
| Absorption and regeneration temperatures | Set to limit ZrCo disproportionation |
| Foam matrix material and pore size | Per design |
| Vessel, containment and heating | Per design and applicable codes |
| Gas connections and leak rate | VCR or welded; stated on quotation |
| Instrumentation | Temperature, pressure; optional inlet/outlet tritium monitors |
Monitoring the bed
Inlet and outlet tritium monitors show capture performance and early breakthrough. The all-metal, leak-tight IAS-TG30 and IAS-TG10 process monitors are built for this service. See tritium monitoring for fusion facilities for where beds and monitors fit in a fuel cycle.
Export control and end-use
Hydrogen-isotope storage or purification systems using metal hydrides are nuclear dual-use items under the Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines. In the US Commerce Control List they fall under ECCN 1B231, "hydrogen isotope storage or hydrogen isotope purification systems using metal hydrides as the storage, or purification medium" (reason for control: nuclear nonproliferation). Every quotation therefore includes an end-use and end-user statement, and delivery depends on the export licenses required by the country of manufacture and, where applicable, the United States.
FAQ
What is a ZrCo tritium purification bed?
It is a sealed vessel filled with zirconium-cobalt (ZrCo) alloy that absorbs hydrogen isotopes (H₂, D₂, T₂, HT) from a gas stream at room temperature by forming a hydride (ZrCoH₃). The captured hydrogen isotopes are released later by heating the bed, so the bed can be used to clean a gas stream, or to store and deliver tritium.
Why ZrCo instead of uranium for tritium?
Uranium beds absorb hydrogen isotopes quickly but uranium is radioactive, pyrophoric and regulated as nuclear material. ZrCo is not radioactive, has low pyrophoricity, has a very low absorption plateau pressure at room temperature (about 10⁻³ Pa) and retains helium-3 from tritium decay well. That is why ZrCo was selected for the ITER tritium storage and delivery system.
Why put ZrCo on a metal foam?
Hydriding releases heat, and releasing hydrogen needs heat. Hydride powder also breaks down into fine particles over cycling. An open-cell metal foam spreads heat through the bed, holds the alloy in place and gives a uniform, low-resistance gas path. Published tests on ZrCo beds found a copper-foam bed gave more uniform heating during desorption and better removal of absorption heat than a copper-fin bed.
What gases can a ZrCo bed treat?
ZrCo beds are designed to capture hydrogen isotopes, typically from helium or argon carrier gas. Impurities such as oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, CO, CO₂ and hydrocarbons can poison or consume the alloy, so the gas composition is reviewed for every project and upstream purification may be required. Tritiated water (HTO) is not captured by the ZrCo bed itself.
What are the limitations of ZrCo?
If ZrCo hydride is heated above about 573 K (300 °C) during hydrogen release, it can disproportionate into ZrH₂ and ZrCo₂, which lowers usable capacity over cycles. Its absorption is also slower than uranium. Bed design, operating temperature and regeneration procedure are set to manage these limits.
How much does a ZrCo tritium purification bed cost?
Every bed is sized to the project, so pricing is by quotation. Send the gas composition, flow, hydrogen-isotope inventory, target outlet concentration, pressure and end-use details, and we reply with a proposal, price, lead time and documentation list.
Is a ZrCo tritium purification bed export controlled?
Yes, in most cases. Hydrogen-isotope storage or purification systems using metal hydrides are nuclear dual-use items under the Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines, and in the US they are listed under ECCN 1B231 (reason for control: nuclear nonproliferation). Shipments need the export licenses required by the country of manufacture and, for re-exports, by the US. An end-use and end-user statement is part of every quotation, and delivery depends on license approval.
How do I monitor a ZrCo bed?
Tritium monitors on the inlet and outlet show capture performance and breakthrough. The sealed, all-metal IAS-TG30 and IAS-TG10 process monitors are designed for this kind of process gas service.
Request a ZrCo purification bed proposal
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Related pages
- All IAS-T tritium monitors
- How to choose a tritium monitor
- Tritium monitoring for fusion facilities
- Tritium DAC and unit converter (Bq/m³ ↔ µCi/mL)
- Tritium monitor selection guide (PDF)
- Nuclear-grade radioiodine carbon and consumables
- Cyclohexane methyl-iodide alternative test system
- Methyl iodide carbon testing service
- Nuclear air filtration systems
- Nuclear decommissioning air filtration
Sources
- Recent progress on the hydrogen storage properties of ZrCo-based alloys applied in ITER (Journal of Rare Earths / ScienceDirect)
- Experimental comparison on heat transfer-enhancing component of metal hydride bed (Fusion Engineering and Design)
- Development of ZrCo beds for ITER tritium storage and delivery (ResearchGate)
- Federal Register, Aug 18, 2023: CCL changes incl. ECCN 1B231 (govinfo)