Comparative studies of H absorption/desorption kinetics and evaporation of liquid lithium in different porous systems and free surfaces

In the present work, a study of the two most relevant properties of liquid lithium with respect to its suitability as a Plasma Facing Component (PFC) element in a Reactor, namely, its evaporation rate and the uptake/release of hydrogen, eventually leading to the formation of a stable hydride was carried out for Li in different porous systems and Li as a free surface. These properties were characterized in a temperature range of 200-500 °C. The H2 absorption kinetics at low pressure (<1torr) were measured for the different studied porous systems and then outgassed. Particle balance and chemical analysis were used to assess the retention properties of lithium for each case. Thermal Desorption Spectroscopy (TDS) analysis was used for the assessment of possible hydride formation. Evaporation rates were determined by using a Quartz Microbalance (QMB). A significant reduction of the evaporation rate was observed when Li was trapped in a microstructure of sintered stainless steel with a characteristic porous size of 5-10 μm. On the other hand, a negligible rate of H2 uptake was found at temperatures above 500 °C in all cases.