Development and demonstration of a semi-automatic system for the bulk production of lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) pebbles by solid state reaction process (SSRP)

Abstract

Abstract Lithium titanate ( L i 2 T i O 3 ) has been selected as ceramic solid tritium breeding materials for the ITER Test Blanket Module (TBM) and also for DEMO reactor. Looking towards its future demand in large quantities, it is necessary to develop a system for bulk production of the lithium titanate pebbles. A semi-automatic system for the bulk production of lithium titanate (Li2TiO3) pebbles by Solid-State Reaction Process (SSRP) has been designed, developed and successfully demonstrated. Raw materials; viz. lithium carbonate ( L i 2 C O 3 ) and titanium dioxide ( T i O 2 ) were mixed in required stoichiometry and fed into the continuous rotary synthesizer. L i 2 T i O 3 powder was synthesized in a continuous rotary synthesizer at 10 kg/h production capacity. This synthesized powder was milled in air jet mill. Milled powder was fed into the extrusion-spheronization based automated granulation system and green, spherical L i 2 T i O 3 pebbles of were produced at the production rate of 25 kg/h. Green spherical pebbles were dried, classified and sintered It was found that the synthesized L i 2 T i O 3 was in monoclinic β- L i 2 T i O 3 phase according to JCPDS No. 33-0831 and the properties of the sintered Li2TiO3 pebbles were well within the desired values. The process and various process parameters are discussed in details in this paper.