Isothermal release of tritium from neutron-irradiated Li17Pb83

Isothermal release experiments were carried out to study the tritium recovery from lithium-lead alloy Li₁₇Pb₈₃ in which tritium was produced by irradiation with thermal neutrons. The experimental results indicate that the tritium recovery was incomplete within two hours at 200 °C. At temperatures above the melting point, the tritium release rates have been significantly increased and found to be controlled by the diffusion in the alloy. The determined diffusion coefficients of tritium in the alloy are 6.6 × 10^?6, 7.8 × 10^?6 and 9.5 × 10^?6 cm²/s at 300, 400 and 500°C, respectively.