Heavy water in various specifications

What is Heavy Water?

A form of water in which both hydrogen atoms are the deuterium isotope (heavy hydrogen), rather than the protium isotope (light hydrogen). It is used in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, hydrology, and scientific research and manufacturing industries, as well as in deuterium gas for fiber optics and semiconductor industries. In nuclear reactors, it serves as a "moderator," slowing down neutron speeds to control the nuclear fission process, and also acts as a coolant. It can also be used in the production of deuterium gas for pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, hydrology, scientific research and manufacturing, as well as fiber optics and semiconductor industries.

Why Choose Us

Shanglang is the supplier of choice for customers who need a sustainable long-term deuterium supply chain partner that can grow with you. As you begin the development phase and grow to require bulk commercial drum deliveries, we will provide deuterium oxide. Through collaboration, Isowater? will help your growing business, ensuring your supply chain remains robust and resilient against uncertainties in the global heavy water market.

We possess one of the world's largest inventories of high-purity deuterium oxide/heavy water for the life sciences and high-tech industries. As a proven and reliable supplier, we sell D2O products in dispensing and bulk packaging. Partner with us, and we will help you grow. Contact us for assistance at shineliu@shanglangas.com or call 13194677939.

Origin of Heavy Water

It is believed that most of the deuterium (heavy hydrogen) found on Earth, along with other very light isotopes currently present in the universe, formed about 10 minutes after the Big Bang. More recently, 250 million years ago, most deuterium atoms on Earth were incorporated into water molecules. A small fraction of natural hydrogen, the deuterium isotope (accounting for only 0.015% of all hydrogen isotopes), is now most commonly found in the form of HDO molecules. Since then, deuterium has continued to be found in this form and was eventually discovered by scientists as heavy water in 1931.

American chemist Harold C. Urey, along with his colleagues Ferdinand G. Brickwedde and George M. Murphy, discovered deuterium in 1931. For this discovery, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1934. Since the initial discovery of deuterium, many variants and forms of the substance have been created and identified, such as deuterium oxide.

Pure heavy water D2O is the oxide of the heavy stable isotope of hydrogen, deuterium, denoted by the symbol 2H or D. Physically and chemically, it is almost identical to ordinary "light" water H2O; however, it is 10% denser. It is this higher density that gives the compound the nickname "heavy water."

Uses of Heavy Water

Biomedical Applications of Heavy Water (D2O)
D2O was one of the first isotopic tracers used in metabolic research shortly after its discovery by Harold Urey in 1932. The pioneering work of Schoenheimer, Rittenberg, and Ussing demonstrated the incorporation of deuterium from D2O into many metabolic pools. Once introduced into cellular pools, D2O equilibrates throughout body water and is incorporated into metabolites through condensation/hydrolysis reactions involving water; crucially, this occurs in a constant and predictable manner. Typically, 0.1 mL per kg of body water is ingested, meaning an adult ingests 5-7 mL. This increases the blood D2O level from 150 ppm to about 300 ppm, with a subsequent half-life of several days to return to normal levels. Many such tests have reported no negative effects. With appropriate D2O dosing, numerous metabolic processes can be measured, from synthesizing deuterated precursors and subsequently incorporating them into polymers—for example, alanine into proteins, glucose into glycogen, fatty acids into triglycerides, and ribose into nucleic acids. To reach a 10% body water level, which may or may not be toxic, a 70 kg person (with about 50 L of body water) would need to quickly drink 5 L of pure D2O. This is unlikely to occur intentionally or accidentally. Concentrations of up to 23% D2O in human fluids have been found to be non-toxic for short periods. High doses and long-term exposure are toxic to eukaryotes due to inhibition of enzyme activity, as the bond strength between deuterium and carbon is 10 times stronger than that of hydrogen. D2O is much less toxic to prokaryotes than to eukaryotes. After a period of adaptation, some bacteria and algae can grow in pure D2O, although typically slower than in H2O. Deuterium oxide is also used in pharmacology, where H/D substitution can extend the half-life of drug formulations, often favorably affecting the drug's pharmacokinetics. The effects of deuterated forms of drugs often differ from their protonated forms. The transport processes of some deuterated drugs are different. Deuteriation may also alter the pathways of drug metabolism (metabolic conversion). Changes in metabolism can lead to prolonged duration of action and reduced toxicity.

Electronics Industry Applications of D2O
Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
The primary kinetic isotope effect of hydrogen/deuterium provides useful information on the degradation mechanisms of OLED materials. Therefore, replacing unstable C-H bonds in OLEDs with C-D bonds increases device lifetime fivefold without reducing efficiency.

Fiber Optics
In fiber optics deuterium extracted from D2O and deposited onto Si reduces absorption loss by shifting it to the 1620 nm wavelength, which is beyond the normal operating range, thereby improving the lifespan and efficiency of optical fibers several times over.

Other Applications
Deuterium oxide is commonly used in the heavy water electrolysis process to produce deuterium gas, which is critical for the semiconductor industry. For example, replacing hydrogen with deuterium can significantly reduce hot electron degradation effects in metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors due to isotopic kinetic effects. Transistor lifetime improvements of 10-50 times have been reported. Deuterium oxide is also used as a non-radioactive tracer in hydrology, ecology, entomology, mining, and other tracking studies where radioactive isotopes are not suitable.

Conclusion
In contemporary research, D2O offers opportunities to create a more comprehensive in vivo metabolic phenotype picture, providing a unique development platform for clinical applications and the emerging field of personalized medicine. D2O can maintain the stability of vaccines (including polio vaccines) for long periods without refrigeration. In the high-tech and electronics industries, deuterium oxide enhances the lifespan and performance of OLEDs and improves the longevity and efficiency of optical fibers.

What is Deuterium

The physical properties of water and deuterium oxide (heavy water) differ in several aspects. For example, at a given temperature, heavy water dissociates less than light water. Additionally, the actual concentration of D+ ions is lower than that of H+ ions in light water samples at the same temperature. When comparing OD- and OH- ions, for heavy water, Kw D2O (25.0°C) = 1.35×10^-15, and the [D+] in neutral water must equal [OD-]. Therefore, pKw D2O = p[OD−] + p[D+] = 7.44 + 7.44 = 14.87 (25.0°C), and the p[D+] of neutral heavy water at 25.0°C is 7.44.

The pD of heavy water is typically measured using a pH electrode, which provides a pH (apparent) value or pHa. At different temperatures, the true acidic pD can be estimated from directly measured pH value tables, so pD+ = pHa (apparent reading from the pH meter) + 0.41. The electrode correction for alkaline conditions in heavy water is 0.456. Thus, the alkaline correction is pD+ = pHa (apparent reading from the pH meter) + 0.456. These corrections differ slightly from the corresponding corrections in light water due to the 0.44 difference in p[D+] and p[OD-].

Heavy Water Deuterium Oxide

Heavy water is 10.6% denser than ordinary water. Without equipment, the physical properties of heavy water can be distinguished if a frozen sample is dropped into normal water, as it will sink. If the water is icy, the higher melting temperature of heavy ice can also be observed: it melts at 3.7°C, so it does not melt in icy normal water.

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