Have you ever imagined traveling into space with Companyship symbol “star hike“? Although this is still a distant scenario, scientists are already exploring ways to apply deuterium – engine fuel in fiction – by methods of separation of hydrogen isotopes.

It is this process that is the biggest problem when introducing pop culture technologies into real life. Deuterium, known as hydrogen heavyis part of the element’s three natural isotopes, along with protium and tritium.

Deuterium is separated from Water heavyformed by it and oxygen and mixed in a proportion of only 0.15 ppm in the water resources of the Earth.

The deuterium gas extraction process involves the separation of heavy water through chemical and physical processes. Although this method is known, it is complex and energy intensive, to the point that a gram of deuterium costs more than the same amount of gold.

In an attempt to make element separation viable, researchers in Germany have developed a mechanism consisting of a type of sieve with an organometallic structure suitable for storing and converting energy, which allows the material to be extracted and adapted to the pore size.

“[Isso] allows you to separate gaseous deuterium from hydrogen, ”said Stephen Kaskelteacher university Technics in Dresden and a research team member, according to the Technological Innovation website. “The unique organometallic structure of DUT-8 is very flexible and can dynamically change its pore size, but this structural response has proven to be very selective.”

“Only deuterium can open pores, while hydrogen leaves the structure closed. This recognition results in high separation selectivity coupled with high deuterium absorption,” he added.

Utilities beyond traveling the universe

If the process with the new material works out and becomes viable, it will be able to meet the growing demand for the element not only for space technology. For example, in healthcare, deuterium has been shown to be useful in extending the shelf life of drug ingredients.

Thinking about higher flight, humanity has been looking for many years for ways to create a fuel capable of generating autonomy and speed to explore the universe and, finally, reach deep space – beyond the solar system. Deuterium may be important in the first steps towards making this real.

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Source: Technological innovation.