Editing Isotope separation (section)

===Chemical methods===
Although isotopes of a single element are normally described as having the same chemical properties, this is not strictly true. In particular, [[reaction rate]]s are very slightly affected by atomic mass.

Techniques using this are most effective for light atoms such as hydrogen. Lighter isotopes tend to react or [[evaporation|evaporate]] more quickly than heavy isotopes, allowing them to be separated. This is how [[heavy water]] is produced commercially, see [[Girdler sulfide process]] for details. Lighter isotopes also disassociate more rapidly under an electric field. This process in a large [[cascade (chemical engineering)|cascade]] was used at the heavy water production plant at [[Rjukan]].

One candidate for the largest [[kinetic isotope effect|kinetic isotopic effect]] ever measured at room temperature, 305, may eventually be used for the separation of [[tritium]] (T). The effects for the oxidation of tritiated [[formate]] anions to HTO were measured as:

: {|
|-
| k(HCO<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup>) = 9.54 M<sup>−1</sup>s<sup>−1</sup>
| k(H)/k(D) = 38
|-
| k(DCO<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup>) = 9.54 M<sup>−1</sup>s<sup>−1</sup>
| k(D)/k(T) = 8.1
|-
| k(TCO<sub>2</sub><sup>−</sup>) = 9.54 M<sup>−1</sup>s<sup>−1</sup>
| k(H)/k(T) = 305
|}