| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramic Materials for Nuclear Energy Research and Applications
|
| Presentation Title |
Low-temperature Fabrication of Ceramic Tritium Breeder Materials, for Enhanced Control of Microstructure and Phase Formation |
| Author(s) |
Enrique Antonio Casanas, Amy Gandy, Megan Leyland, Lyndsey Mooring, Rachel Strickland, Colm O'Regan, Rebecca Boston |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Enrique Antonio Casanas |
| Abstract Scope |
Lithium-containing ceramics are one of the tritium breeding concepts to be tested in ITER. Due to the specific needs of a breeder blanket, no single lithium ceramic has been singled out as the best compromise between physical properties and lithium density. Two ceramics have been identified as potential lithium sources: lithium metatitanate (Li2TiO3) and lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4). Conventional high temperature fabrication techniques can lead to lithium loss due to volatilisation. Here we apply low temperature fabrication techniques to the formation of dense, lithium-containing ceramics, including the newly developed reactive cold sintering (RCS) method. This novel fabrication method enables the formation of dense pellets at reduced temperatures and also allows the incorporation of distinct phases, enhancing control over the composition and microstructure. This has enabled the formation of composite ceramics tailored to the needs of a breeder blanket. Results suggest that RCS could produce lithium ceramics with little concern for volatilisation. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Ceramics, Nuclear Materials, |