Preparation of Li2TiO3 ceramic with nano-sized pores by ultrasonic-assisted solution combustion

Li2TiO3 is a candidate material for tritium breeding in the future nuclear fusion reactor. In this study, Li2TiO3 powder was synthesized by ultrasonic-assisted solution combustion synthesis (USCS) in a single step. The ultrasonic transducer with the power of 1000 W was introduced in the synthesis process. The crystallite size of Li2TiO3 powder prepared by utilization of ultrasonic power is significantly decreased to ∼5.0 nm, while the one obtained without ultrasonic power is 20.0 nm. Li2TiO3 ceramic sintered from USCS powder at 800 °C exhibits the small grain size of 330 nm and the open pores size of 140 nm. The crush load of the ceramic reaches 37.2 N although the structure is porous. Compared with the ceramic prepared by solid-state reaction and conventional solution combustion synthesis, USCS sample has a higher conductivity of 2.0 × 10−6 S m−1 at room temperature, indicating the lower tritium diffusion barrier in the ceramic.