Hexium

Hexium is a U.S.-based company specializing in isotope enrichment technologies to support fusion energy and other advanced nuclear applications. The company employs atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS), a method originally developed by the U.S. Department of Energy, to separate lithium isotopes. Hexium's process uses precisely tuned lasers to ionize lithium-6 atoms, which are then separated from lithium-7 using electric fields. The enriched lithium-6 can be utilized in fusion machines for tritium breeding and radiation shielding, while lithium-7 serves roles in fission reactor cooling systems. Hexium is currently constructing a pilot facility to demonstrate the scalability of its AVLIS-based approach.