Criteria for the safe storage of lithium metal and lithium compounds at the Y-12 Plant

Abstract

Considerable quantities of lithium-based materials are being generated as a result of the nuclear weapons disassembly process. The lithium from these materials, in the form of lithium hydride (LiH) and lithium deuteride (LiD), is enriched in the lithium-6 ({sup 6}Li) isotope and is considered to be an accountable nuclear material. These materials are neither radioactive nor fissile, but they are integral components of nuclear weapons. The LiD functions as a fuel for thermonuclear fusion and the LiH functions as a neutron moderator. Current plans are to store such materials in a suitable chemical form until they are needed for building future weapons or for other undefined uses. Because no domestic capability exists for producing enriched {sup 6}Li and because {sup 6}Li is an integral component of nuclear weapons, it must be stored safely, securely, and in an environmentally compliant form.