Deuterium oxide application: Fiber Optics

Fig 1.Deuterium oxide can be used to manufacture the Fiber Optics

 

The distinctive behavior arising out of the isotope & deuterium bonding effects have found potential use in various industrial scopes. Various applications have been developed in the high tech area using some of the fundamental differences between hydrogen and deuterium.

Optical fibers are widely used when transmitting data over longer distances and at higher bandwidths than traditional copper cables. Replacing the hydrogen with deuterium oxide in the fiber cables reduces the chemical reaction rate leading to deterioration of the light transmission, improves the intensity and transmission characteristics and extends the life of the cable. 

Applications of deuterium oxide

Fig 1.Iranian heavy water reactor

The main application of deuterium oxide (heavy water) is in heavy water reactors. Deuterium oxide is used as a moderator and heat transport system in certain types of heavy water nuclear reactors. The other applications of deuterium oxide are as follows:

 

• Deuterated drugs: lower rates of metabolism, and a longer half-life.
• Industry: fiber optics and silicon semiconductors manufacturing.
• Human health: metabolic studies using deuterium oxide tracer.
• Oil & hydrology: studies using deuterium oxide tracer.
• Scientific research: manufacturing deuterated products such as deuterated NMR solvents and deuterium labeled compounds.
• Physics: neutrino detector and fusion process development using deuterium oxide.
• Biological science: probing metabolic characteristics using deuterium oxide.