TRITIUM RELEASE KINETICS OF LITHIUM SILICATES WITH IRRADIATION DEFECTS

Tritium release kinetics of lithium ortho- and metasilicates with irra diation defects was studied by out-of-pile experiments. Tritium was re leased mainly as HTO, but the HT yield increased with the increasing p artial pressure of H-2 in the sweep gas. Some dependence of the HT yie ld on neutron fluence was observed. Tritium release kinetics of HTO an d HT were well interpreted by taking a combined regime of diffusion an d first-order reaction. The dependence of the diffusion constant and r eaction rate constant on neutron fluence was determined. In the studie d range, the effects of neutron fluence were observed more clearly for Li2SiO3 than for Li4SiO4. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights r eserved.