Abstract:
Li4SiO4 with a diameter of 0.52 mm has been candidated as solidstate tritium breeder material for the testing blanket module (TBM) of fusion reactor being developed in Europe and China. Performance designs of Li ceramics pebbles were discussed, extrusion-spheronisation-sintering process of Li
4SiO
4 pebbles were studied, and density, diameter, sphericity, grain size and crush load of pebbles were analyzed and characterized. Li
4SiO
4 pebbles sintered at 1 050 ℃ have a density of 90.4%TD, pebbled bed density 52.9%TD, diameter (0.95±0.15) mm, sphericity 1.10, crush load (18.50±2.76) N, average grain size 14 μm, phase structures of Li
4SiO
4 (main), Li
2SiO
3 and Li
2Si
2O
5. Products of Li
4SiO
4 pebbles can be fabricated by the improved extrusion-spheronisation and sintering processes.