About this Abstract |
Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
Symposium
|
Meeting Materials Challenges for the Future of Fusion Energy
|
Presentation Title |
Innovative Lithium-Based Tritium Breeder Material with Promising Microstructure |
Author(s) |
Saurabh Kumar Sharma, Chase N. Taylor, Dong Zhao, Kevin Yan, Jie Lian |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Saurabh Kumar Sharma |
Abstract Scope |
Multifunctional ceramic breeder materials are highly desirable for deuterium-tritium fusion with high efficiency in breeding tritium through neutron irradiation of lithium-containing blankets. Li2TiO3 displays unique attributes as a potential ceramic breeder material due to its favorable tritium release properties, excellent thermal properties, and low activation characteristics. An optimized microstructure with three-dimensional interconnected pore structure is required for rapid transport of the tritium for effective fuel cycle, which unenviably results in the degradation of their thermal-mechanical properties. Here, Li2TiO3 ceramic pellets with controlled porosities of 14% and 20% are manufactured by volume-controlled spark plasma sintering with an optimized 3D interconnected pore structure, which could be beneficial to facilitate easy removal of transmuted gases. These samples also display simultaneously enhanced thermal-mechanical properties, superior to current state-of-the-art materials. The meticulously designed monophasic Li2TiO3 cylindrical pellets feature an optimized microstructure, porosity, and high thermo-mechanical properties, establishing its potential as a promising tritium breeder material. |
Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Mechanical Properties, Other |