IRRADIATION DAMAGE IN LITHIUM CERAMICS

LiAlO//2 and Li//2ZrO//3 are among the lithium ceramics proposed at tritium-breeding materials in the fusion reactors. The irradiation response of two candidate tritium-breeding materials, LiAlO//2 and Li//2ZrO//3, was investigated using electron irradiation to produce atomic displacements, and EPR and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to detect damage responses. In a first set of experiments, single crystals and sintered polycrystals of gamma -LiAlO//2 were irradiated with 2. 5 Mev electrons at a temperature of 20 K. EPR measurements made at 4 K on samples kept at 77 K after electron irradiation confirm that paramagnetic defects are cerated during irradiation, and that most of these defects disappear at about 100 K.