Summary of experimental results for ceramic breeder materials

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:196933

Roux, N ^[1]; Hollenberg, G ^[2]; Johnson, C ^[3]

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1. CEA/C.E., Saclay (France)
2. Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
3. Argonne National Lab., Chicago, IL (United States); and others

Lithium containing ceramics were quickly recognized as promising tritium breeding materials for fusion reactor blankets owing, in particular, to their accepted safety advantages. Relevant material properties were investigated to further evaluate their suitability. This extensive R&D program complemented conceptual blanket design activities for both near term machines and power reactors. Every conceivable aspect has been addressed: e.g., fabricability, thermophysical, thermochemical, and thermonuclear properties, compatibility with blanket materials, irradiation behavior, tritium release behavior, activation, and reprocessing and waste disposal activities. As a result of this worldwide investigation lithium oxide and the ternary ceramics (aluminate, zicronate, titanate and orthosilicate) were identified as attractive candidates in two configurations, i.e., sintered bodies and pebble beds. The choice of the most suitable ceramic may depend upon the specific blanket design as each ceramic has its own attractive features. The paper highlights the merits of ceramic breeder materials: Materials performance has continuously improved and further advances are still expected. State- of-the-art materials are very satisfactory. The properties data base was reviewed and assessed within the framework of the ITER/CDA design. While the properties data base is still uneven, it is adequate and enables design analysis of various blanket concepts that are very attractive.

• OSTI ID: 196933
• Report Number(s): CONF-940664--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ALUMINATES
BREEDING PELLETS
CERAMICS
COMPATIBILITY
FABRICATION
INVENTORIES
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM OXIDES
PHYSICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIOACTIVATION
SILICATES
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
TITANATES
ZIRCONATES