CHARACTERISTICS OF LI2O PEBBLES FABRICATED BY THE MELTING GRANULATION METHOD

Lithium ceramics have been considered as candidates for solid breeder materials for fusion reactors. In lithium ceramics, lithium oxide (Li2O) is one of the best tritium breeders from the standpoint of high lithium density and high thermal conductivity. Recently, several studies have been carried out on the fabrication of small, spherical Li2O forms to reduce the induced thermal stress in the breeder. A mass-production process for making small pebbles was developed using the melting granulation method. In the present work, the characteristics of Li2O pebbles fabricated by this method, and mass transfer properties within a Li2O pebble bed, are discussed.