|
Heavy Water Board
(HWB), a constituent unit of Industries and Minerals Sector under Department
of Atomic Energy, is primarily responsible for production of
Heavy Water (Deuterium Oxide-D2O) which is
used as a 'moderator' and 'Coolant'
in the nuclear power as well as research reactors. HWB has mastered the complex production
technology using two chemical exchange processes viz. H2S-H2O
bithermal process and NH3-H2 monothermal
process. India is one of the largest manufacturers of heavy
water in the world and is meeting
the heavy water requirements of the Indian Nuclear Power
Programme. The plants based on Ammonia-Hydrogen (NH3-H2)
exchange process are linked to the ammonia fertilizer plants
for synthesis gas feed supply while H2S-H2O
based plants are independent in this respect. HWB is
successfully operating six Heavy
Water Plants in the country. A technology demonstration plant using
Water-Ammonia
(H2O-NH3) deuterium exchange to make the ammonia based Heavy
Water Plants independent of fertilizer plants is also
developed and demonstrated at HWP, Baroda, Gujrat. All
Heavy Water Plants have well defined Safety & Environmental
Policy and maintaining excellent records in these areas.
Heavy
Water Product
from HWB meets stringent quality
specifications for international requirements. Heavy Water
Board has successfully exported Heavy Water to countries viz. South Korea, China and USA.
HWB
has set up production facilities for various
Organophosphorous solvents viz. D2EHPA, TBP, TAPO, TOPO, DNPPA,
DOHA etc. for meeting the requirements of DAE. This included
development of the processes from laboratory synthesis through
scale up to commercially viable plants. The solvents produced
by HWB have found acceptability not only in DAE but outside as
well.
HWB
also has been successful in engineering / setting up and
operating the boron isotope enrichment units based on
different technologies to meet the
requirements of fast breeder reactor programme. The other
activities also include development of cryogenic process
system and recovery of rare material from secondary sources.
Apart
from the above, HWB has opened avenues for development and
promotion of non-nuclear applications of Heavy Water and
Deuterium. HWB has been successful in
demonstrating the improved thermal stability of deuterated
oral polio vaccine. HWB also has been working with various
institutions in further development in these applications. HWB
has been supplying deuterium gas for the manufacture of low
water peak optical fiber. Synthesis
of some of the D-labeled compounds extensively used in NMR
has been taken up by HWB. HWB has also been offering Value
Added Services and spin off technologies to other
chemical process industries. |
