1B233 Category 1B

Lithium isotope separation facilities or plants, and systems and equipment therefor (see List of Items Controlled).

Category 1: Special Materials and Related Equipment, Chemicals, “Microorganisms,” and “Toxins”

Reasons for control

• NP: Nuclear nonproliferation
• AT: Anti-terrorism

Country chart

List-based license exceptions

Items

1. Items: a. Facilities or plants for the separation of lithium isotopes;
2. b. Equipment for the separation of lithium isotopes based on the lithium-mercury amalgam process, as follows:
3. b.1. Packed liquid-liquid exchange columns “specially designed” for lithium amalgams;
4. b.2. Mercury and/or lithium amalgam pumps;
5. b.3. Lithium amalgam electrolysis cells;
6. b.4. Evaporators for concentrated lithium hydroxide solution.
7. c. Ion exchange systems “specially designed” for lithium isotope separation, and “specially designed” component parts therefor;
8. d. Chemical exchange systems (employing crown ethers, cryptands, or lariat ethers) “specially designed” for lithium isotope separation, and “specially designed” component parts therefor.

Related controls

(1) See ECCN 1E001 (“development” and “production”) and ECCN 1E201 (“use”) for technology for items described in this entry. (2) Facilities and plants described in 1B233.a are subject to the export licensing authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (see 10 CFR part 110). (3) Certain lithium isotope separation equipment and components for the plasma separation process (PSP) that are described in 1B233.b through .d are also directly applicable to uranium isotope separation and are subject to the export licensing authority of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (see 10 CFR part 110).

Source: eCFR, version 2026-08-01, retrieved 2026-08-20T04:04:59+00:00.