Tag: study of heavy water

In nuclear reactors, heavy water is used as moderator for neutrons.

The amount of energy required to break $H-H$ bond of 1 mole of gaseous hydrogen is 436 $kJ \ mol^{-1}$. This is known as bond dissociation enthalpy.
$H _2{(g)} + 436 \  kJ mol^{-1} \rightarrow  H{(g)} + H{(g)}$

High concentration of heavy water retards the growth of the plants. Tobacco seeds do not grow in heavy water.

Deuterium oxide $D _{2}O$ is known as heavy water. When both $H$ atoms of water $(H _2O)$ are replaced with $D$ atoms, heavy water is obtained.

$CaC _{2}+2D _{2}o\rightarrow Ca(OD) _{2}+C _{2}D _{2}$

Heavy water is deuterium oxide $(D _2O)$. Ordinary water contains a fraction (1 in 6000 parts) of heavy water. On large scale, it is produced by repeated electrolysis of ordinary water containing alkali. It is also produced by repeated distillation and condensation. It is also obtained by exchange process.

Heavy metals is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors to bring the fission reaction by slowing down the neutrons and capturing them. The main reason is that the heavy water captures less neutrons than the normal water. Later it can be used as a fuel which has not undergone enrichment to increase the percentage of Uranium-235

Heavy water is used in nuclear reactors, where it acts as a neutron moderator to slow down neutrons so that they are more likely to react with the fissile uranium-235 than with uranium-238, which captures neutrons without fissioning.