About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Ceramics and Ceramic-Based Composites for Nuclear Applications III
|
| Presentation Title |
Nanoscale Lithium Redistribution and Void Formation in Neutron Irradiated LiAlO₂ Ceramics Studied by EFTEM and Electron Diffraction |
| Author(s) |
Shalini Tripathi, Edgar C. Buck, Lucas E. Sweet, Jennifer Yao, Bruce Arey, Anthony D. Guzman, Paul J. MacFarlan, Gary J. Sevigny, Ingrid E. Burgeson |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Shalini Tripathi |
| Abstract Scope |
Neutron-irradiated γ-LiAlO₂ ceramics used in tritium-producing burnable absorber rods (TPBARs) undergo complex radiation-induced transformations involving lithium transmutation, knock-on damage, and helium accumulation. These processes lead to chemical and structural changes such as void formation and secondary phase precipitation, which are difficult to resolve using conventional techniques.
In this study, three reactor-irradiated LiAlO₂ ceramic pellets with varied grain sizes, geometries, and burnup histories were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-filtered TEM (EFTEM), electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD suggested γ-Al₂O₃ and β-LiAlO₂, electron diffraction and pattern simulations indicated γ-Al₂O₃ as the dominant Li-depleted phase. However, lithium’s weak diffraction signal limits conclusive phase identification, highlighting the need for Li-sensitive techniques such as ToF-SIMS.
These findings demonstrate the utility of EFTEM and diffraction in assessing irradiation-induced transformations in ceramics and underscore lithium loss and γ-Al₂O₃ or other Li-depleted phase formation as key degradation mechanisms relevant to tritium production efficiency. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Nuclear Materials, Characterization, Ceramics |