Models, Methods & Madness: Ceramic Components Made with Highly Reactive Lithium Hydride

Abstract:

AWE is a world center of excellence in lithium hydride technology and has 50 years of experience in research, characterisation and manufacture of lithium hydride artifacts. Because of its affinity for water, lithium hydride is handled under ultra-dry conditions, in argon or nitrogen filled glove boxes. Even when handled with extreme care though it still picks up traces of moisture in the gas atmosphere and the resulting material, when fabricated into shapes, continually outgasses very low levels of hydrogen. Lithium hydride is a pale grey polycrystalline solid, compacted to less than 100% theoretical density. The generation of hydrogen gas is a major concern as it may be fielded in sealed metal containers that are susceptible to attack by hydrogen. For this reason, the outgassing has been the subject of intensive study. It is therefore surprising that its chemical properties are not better understood, properties that are fundamental to developing a model of the materials ageing behaviour. This paper will present our current research investigating the mechanisms of hydrogen outgassing, enhancing specific analytical techniques to probe the unique chemistry, and using our knowledge to improve resultant ceramic components.

• Periodical: Advances in Science and Technology (Volume 45)
• Pages: 61-67
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AST.45.61
• Online since: October 2006
• Authors: Duncan A. Broughton, P.F. Towndrow, W.G. Slater, R.P. Awbery, Jonathan S. Joy, K.J. Bartram, D.M. Grant, C.J. Parkes, J. Wade
• Keywords: Lithium Hydride, Machinable Monoliths, Polycrystalline, Pressed

References

[1] Duncan A. Broughton, Hydrolysis of Lithium Hydride, PhD thesis, University of Reading, (2001).

[2] Roy P. Awbery, Infrared Study of Lithium Hydride and Deuteride by diffuse Reflectance , MSc Thesis, University of Reading (2004).

[3] Dr Duncan Broughton, Roy P Awbery and Dr Jon Joy, An Assault, on Lithium Hydride: Ageing & Outgassing Chemistry , AWE Plc., Aldermaston, Fourth International Conference on Inorganic Materials, University of Antwerp, Belgium, 19 - 21 September (2004).

[4] Peter Towndrow, Maintaining Product Integrity and Operator Safety when Reactive Powders are Involved, WCPT5 Orlando, Florida, April (2006).

[5] L.N. Dinh, D.M. Grant, M.A. Schildbach, R.A. Smith, W.J. Siekhaus, B. Balazs, J.H. Lecky, J.R. Kirkpatrick, W. McLean II, Kinetic Measurement and Prediction of the Hydrogen Outgassing from the Polycrystalline LiH/Li2O/LiOH System, Journal of Nuclear Material, 2005, 347, 31. ©British Crown Copyright 2006/MoD.

DOI: 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2005.06.025