Patent ID: 7302812

Claim:
A process for producing an isotopically enriched compound of a desired isotope, comprising: (a) providing a cryogenic reaction zone containing a catalyst adapted to catalyze an isotope exchange reaction at a cryogenic reaction temperature; (b) feeding to the cryogenic reaction zone an enriched mixture comprising at least a compound containing the desired isotope, wherein the enriched mixture is enriched in the desired isotope above a natural abundance of the desired isotope; (c) reacting the enriched mixture in the cryogenic reaction zone thereby forming a resulting mixture containing the isotopically enriched compound; and (d) separating the resulting mixture into an enriched product which is enriched in the isotopically enriched compound and a depleted product which is depleted in the isotopically enriched compound; (e) providing a reactive distillation column, wherein the cryogenic reaction zone is positioned within the reactive distillation column for facilitating simultaneously the reacting process in (c) and the separating process in (d).