Tritium, H-Bomb Material, Discovered In Water
(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, September 14. Tritium', which is Nature’s rarest element and an essential material for making hydrogen bombs, has been found for the first- time in fresh and sea water. At present it costs 500,000,000 dollars in atomic processes to isolate tritium in a form in which it can be used. The new discovery, announced by the Research Institute of Temple University and the Institute of Nuclear Studies of the University of Chicago, is said to open the door for more economical production. It has also revealed the existence of an unlimited supply of the vital element.
Dr. A. V. Grosse, of the Temple Research Institute, said that tests showed that the element existed in natural abundance in the proportion of one atom of tritium to one million million million atoms of hydrogen. It was found in both ocean and ram water by the use of a spectroscope. Tritium is described as hydrogen of triple we : ht. It is now made mechanically by atomic reactives. It is formed naturally by cosmic rays, which hit nitrogen in the air and change it to tritium one atom at a time.
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Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26219, 16 September 1950, Page 7
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200Tritium, H-Bomb Material, Discovered In Water Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26219, 16 September 1950, Page 7
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