Behavior of the Pb–Li alloy impurities by ICP-MS

• In the new test blanket modules (TBM), Pb–Li alloy plays a key role in the new commercial fusion reactors functionality.
• It is important to have a complete characterization to define their physicochemical properties and their regenerative function inside the blanket.
• Methodology developed is a key tool that allows performing quality control procedures.
• It is essential to determine concentrations of major and trace elements presents in Pb–Li alloy. It allows performing quality control procedures.
• The inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is a highly sensitive technique, so enables very low detection limits.

The ITER and DEMO projects are developing new test blanket modules (TBM), such as HCLL where the Li–Pb alloy plays a key role in the new commercial fusion reactors functionality. Lithium–lead eutectic alloy has no known uses outside of fusion technology, so the available databases of this material are currently incomplete. It is very important, within the material specifications, to have a complete characterization in order to define their chemical and physical properties, because any variation in the alloy composition has significant consequences in their behavior, and therefore in their regenerative function inside the blanket.This report provides a procedure to perform a wide material characterization, assessing the concentrations of major elements, as well as a review of trace level impurities that can be found both in the eutectic alloy as in starting materials. In this determination inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) technique plays an important role, because as a highly sensitive technique it allows very low detection limits.