Preparation of a deuterated polymer: Simulating to produce a solid tritium radioactive source

Abstract The preparation of a deuterated polymer was performed in order to simulate the production of the corresponding tritiated polymer as a solid tritium radioactive source. Substitution and addition reaction were used to introduce deuterium into the polymer. Proton nuclear magnetic resonance and FT-IR spectroscopy were used to investigate the extent and location of deuterium in the polymer, indicating an effectively deuterated polymer was produced. The thermal analysis showed that the final polymer product could tolerate the environmental temperature below 125 °C in its application. This research provides a prosperous method to prepare solid tritium radioactive source.