Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A method of removing tritium from tritiated water and binding said tritium into an insoluble tritiated polystyrene, comprising the steps of:reacting tritiated water with calcium carbide to produce a tritiated acetylene by-product;polymerizing said tritiated acetylene by-product with heat and a first catalyst to form a tritiated benzene by-product;reacting said tritiated benzene by-product with ethyl chloride and ferric chloride in the presence of an acid forming a tritiated ethyl benzene by-product;reacting said tritiated ethyl benzene by-product in the presence of steam and an iron oxide based second catalyst via catalytic dehydrogenation forming a tritiated styrene by-product;copolymerizing said tritiated styrene by-product with an effective amount of divinyl benzene cross-linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene compound. 2. A tritiated polystyrene compound containing covalently bonded tritium produced in accordance with the method of claim 1. 3. A method of producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene, consisting essentially of the steps of:reacting tritiated water with calcium carbide to produce a tritiated acetylene by-product;polymerizing said tritiated acetylene by-product with heat and a first catalyst to form a tritiated benzene by-product;reacting said tritiated benzene by-product with ethyl chloride and ferric chloride in the presence of an acid forming a tritiated ethyl benzene by-product;reacting said tritiated ethyl benzene by-product in the presence of steam and an iron oxide based second catalyst via catalytic dehydrogenation forming a tritiated styrene by-product;copolymerizing said tritiated styrene by-product with an effective amount of divinyl benzene cross-linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene compound. 4. The method of claim 1,wherein said step of reacting said tritiated water with said calcium carbide also produces a tritiated calcium hydroxide and further comprising the step of calcinating said tritiated calcium hydroxide to remove tritiated water therefrom. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of copolymerizing said tritiated styrene by-product with a polybutadiene and an effective amount of divinylbenzene cross linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene/polybutadiene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium. 6. An insoluble tritiated polystyrene/polybutadiene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium produced in accordance with the method of claim 5. 7. An insoluble tritiated polystyrene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium and a monomer or a copolymer selected from the group consisting of a polybutadiene, an acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, an acrylonitrile, a maleic anhydride, and combinations thereof added during polymerization with an effective amount of a divinylbenzene cross linking agent produced in accordance with the method of claim 1. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of reacting said tritiated water with said calcium carbide also produces a tritiated calcium hydroxide and further comprising the step of reacting said tritiated calcium hydroxide with a hydrochloric acid to yield a calcium chloride and tritiated water. 9. The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of copolymerizing said tritiated styrene by-product with a polybutadiene and an effective amount of divinylbenzene cross linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene/polybutadiene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium. 10. An insoluble tritiated polystyrene/polybutadiene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium produced in accordance with the method of claim 9. 11. A method of incorporating tritium arising from tritiated water into a polystyrene consisting essentially of the steps of:reacting tritiated water with calcium carbide to produce a tritiated acetylene by-product;polymerizing said tritiated acetylene by-product producing a tritiated benzene;reacting said tritiated benzene with ethyl chloride and ferric chloride to form a tritiated ethyl benzene;converting said tritiated styrene to a tritiated styrene by catalytic dehydrogenation in the presence of steam and an iron oxide catalyst; andcopolymerizing said tritiated styrene with an effective amount of a divinylbenzene cross linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene compound containing covalently bonded tritium. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of copolymerizing said tritiated styrene with a polybutadiene and an effective amount of divinylbenzene cross linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene/polybutadiene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium. 13. A method of incorporating tritium arising from tritiated water into a polystyrene comprising the steps of:reacting tritiated water with calcium carbide to produce a tritiated acetylene by-product;polymerizing said tritiated acetylene by-product producing a tritiated benzene;reacting said tritiated benzene with ethyl chloride and ferric chloride to form a tritiated ethyl benzene;converting said tritiated styrene to a tritiated styrene by catalytic dehydrogenation in the presence of steam and an iron oxide catalyst; andcopolymerizing said tritiated styrene with an effective amount of a divinylbenzene cross linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene compound containing covalently bonded tritium. 14. A tritiated polystyrene compound containing covalently bonded tritium produced in accordance with the method of claim 13. 15. The method of claim 13,wherein said step of reacting said tritiated water with said calcium carbide also produces a tritiated calcium hydroxide and further comprising the step of calcinating said tritiated calcium hydroxide to remove tritiated water therefrom. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of reacting said tritiated water with said calcium carbide also produces a tritiated calcium hydroxide and further comprising the step of reacting said tritiated calcium hydroxide with a hydrochloric acid to yield a calcium chloride and tritiated water. 17. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of copolymerizing said tritiated styrene with a polybutadiene and an effective amount of divinylbenzene cross linking agent producing an insoluble tritiated polystyrene/polybutadiene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium. 18. An insoluble tritiated polystyrene/polybutadiene graft copolymer compound containing covalently bonded tritium produced in accordance with the method of claim 17.