Oxidation of titanium beryllide fabricated by plasma-sintering method

Abstract

It is imperative to establish the blanket technologies for realization of D-T fusion reactors. The neutron multiplier in the fusion reactor blankets plays one of the key roles with regard to breeding of tritium. Metallic beryllium has been considered as a primary candidate for the neutron multiplier, but it is highly reactive with water vapor and oxygen at high temperatures producing H 2 and BeO. Thus, it is necessary to develop more advanced neutron multipliers that are more chemically stable than metallic beryllium. One of the intermetallic compounds of beryllium and titanium, Be 12 Ti, possesses high tolerance to water vapor and oxygen, low swelling property, and better compatibility with structural materials. Thus, it could be an alternative of metallic beryllium. However, few experimental data are available for this material, and thus more experimental studies need to be performed to evaluate its performance as a neutron multiplier. In this study, a Be 12 Ti sample was fabricated by a new production route, plasmasintering method, and of which reactivity with O 2 and H 2 O was examined. Experimental results suggest that the Be 12 Ti sample prepared by the new production route possesses high resistance to oxidation by O 2 and H 2 O.

Segregation and Oxidation Behavior in Be {101̅1} Grain Boundary by First-Principles Calculations

“…11 BeO is highly toxic and harmful to human body. 11 H 2 could be physically adsorbed on the surface of metal and dissociated into hydrogen atoms (H) which could diffuse into the bulk. 12 Depending on the dissolved quantity of H atoms, the solid solution or hydrides could be produced.…”

“…In the case of a loss of vacuum accident, Be could be oxidized by oxygen . Particularly, in the water-cooled solid breeding blankets, a leakage of water vapor could induce severe oxidation of Be , with the production of beryllium oxide (BeO) and hydrogen gas (H 2 ) . BeO is highly toxic and harmful to human body .…”

“…Particularly, in the water-cooled solid breeding blankets, a leakage of water vapor could induce severe oxidation of Be , with the production of beryllium oxide (BeO) and hydrogen gas (H 2 ) . BeO is highly toxic and harmful to human body . H 2 could be physically adsorbed on the surface of metal and dissociated into hydrogen atoms (H) which could diffuse into the bulk .…”