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Title: Process for recovering tritium from molten lithium metal

Abstract

Lithium tritide (LiT) is extracted from molten lithium metal that has been exposed to neutron irradiation for breeding tritium within a thermonuclear or fission reactor. The extraction is performed by intimately contacting the molten lithium metal with a molten lithium salt, for instance, lithium chloride - potassium chloride eutectic to distribute LiT between the salt and metal phases. The extracted tritium is recovered in gaseous form from the molten salt phase by a subsequent electrolytic or oxidation step.

Inventors:
 [1]
  1. Naperville, IL
Issue Date:
Research Org.:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
862544
Patent Number(s):
3957597
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States Energy (Washington, DC)
Patent Classifications (CPCs):
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01B - NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS
C - CHEMISTRY C25 - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES C25B - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS
DOE Contract Number:  
W-31109-ENG-38
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
process; recovering; tritium; molten; lithium; metal; tritide; extracted; exposed; neutron; irradiation; breeding; thermonuclear; fission; reactor; extraction; performed; intimately; contacting; salt; instance; chloride; potassium; eutectic; distribute; phases; recovered; gaseous; form; phase; subsequent; electrolytic; oxidation; step; lithium chloride; metal phases; fission reactor; neutron irradiation; molten lithium; molten salt; lithium metal; potassium chloride; lithium salt; recovering tritium; oxidation step; metal phase; gaseous form; /205/376/423/976/

Citation Formats

Maroni, Victor A. Process for recovering tritium from molten lithium metal. United States: N. p., 1976. Web.
Maroni, Victor A. Process for recovering tritium from molten lithium metal. United States.
Maroni, Victor A. Thu . "Process for recovering tritium from molten lithium metal". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/862544.
@article{osti_862544,
title = {Process for recovering tritium from molten lithium metal},
author = {Maroni, Victor A},
abstractNote = {Lithium tritide (LiT) is extracted from molten lithium metal that has been exposed to neutron irradiation for breeding tritium within a thermonuclear or fission reactor. The extraction is performed by intimately contacting the molten lithium metal with a molten lithium salt, for instance, lithium chloride - potassium chloride eutectic to distribute LiT between the salt and metal phases. The extracted tritium is recovered in gaseous form from the molten salt phase by a subsequent electrolytic or oxidation step.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1976},
month = {Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1976}
}