On ion implantation and damage effect in Li2TiO3 as a fusion breeder blanket: A technological approach for degradation testing

Abstract

The present work is a technological approach to establish testing techniques able to evaluate the release of the two Li-transmutation products and characterize the degradation of Li2TiO3 as breeder material. In an attempt to find the outgassing/release temperature of light gases and to study its bulk diffusion, nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) was used for profiling the 3He and D depth distributions of the as-implanted and damaged samples as a function of the annealing temperature. The defects generated by γ-rays and heavy-ion (Ti4+) irradiation were characterized by microRaman spectroscopy and confocal microscopy luminescence (CML) techniques. Considering the relevance of the microstructure (porosity and grain size), the study was supported by transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations and Hg-porosimetry measurements. Concerning D-implanted samples, the results suggest the complete release at temperatures higher than 200°C. On the other hand, the implanted 3He desorbs continuously with temperature, a 7–8% still being measured at 700°C.