ION-BEAM PROMOTED LITHIUM ABSORPTION IN GLASSY POLYMERIC CARBON

Glassy Polymeric Carbon (GPC) samples prepared from a precursor posses s accessible pore volume that depends on the heat treatment temperatur e [G.M. Jenkins and K. Kawamura, Polymeric Carbons - Carbon Fiber, Gla ss and Char (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1976) p. 140]. We have shown that lithium percolates without diffusion into the accessib le pores of GPC samples immersed in a molten lithium salt bath at 700 degrees C [D. Ila, G.M. Jenkins, L.R. Holland, A.L. Evelyn and H. Jena , Vacuum 45 (1994) 451]. Ion bombardment with 10 MeV Au atoms increase s the total pore volume available for lithium occupation even for samp les normally impermeable to lithium. The lithium concentration depth p rofile is measured using Li-7(p,2 alpha) nuclear reaction analysis. We will report on lithium percolation into GPC prepared at temperatures between 500 degrees C and 1000 degrees C and activated by a 10 MeV gol d ion bombardment.