Sol-gel lithium aluminate ceramics and tritium extraction mechanisms

摘要

Systems based on the (gamma)-lithium aluminate structure have potential applications as breeder materials for fusion reactors. LiAlO(sub 2) ceramics with controlled stoechiometry and microstructure have been prepared by an alkoxide-hydroxide sol-gel route. These ceramics have been tested in out of reactor experiments. We have proposed an original model, taking into account diffusion and desorption mechanisms in series, to interpret the tritium extraction curves recorded on materials with different porosities. We show that, for identical chemical composition, the microstructure plays a central role for both limiting ionic diffusion and surface molecular desorption processes. (authors). 7 figs., 2 tabs., 20 refs. (Atomindex citation 26:039611)