IN-SITU TRITIUM RELEASE (CORELLI-2 EXPERIMENT) AND EX-REACTOR IONIC-CONDUCTIVITY OF SUBSTOICHIOMETRIC LIALO2 BREEDER CERAMICS

LiAlO2 pellets with about 5% Li deficiency, prepared by a ''wet'' and a ''dry'' route were tested in situ for tritium release properties in nearly the same environmental conditions (CORELLI-2 experiment), Both the ''wet'' and ''dry'' route specimens were characterized by 80% of t heoretical density (TD), almost fully open porosity and grain size les s than or equal to 0.5 mu m. The tritium removal rate evolution, follo wing temperature or sweep gas changes during the irradiation, were obs erved to be nearly the same for both materials, in spite of their diff erent preparation routes and impurities concentration. The ionic condu ctivities, as determined by impedance spectroscopy, were also similar, The presence of LiAl5O8 spinel phase in both samples apparently influ enced the defect structure related transport properties of both lithiu m and tritium in these materials.