Nitridation of Zr₂Fe and Its Influence on Tritium Removal

The nitridation of Zr₂Fe has been investigated with respect to its performance as a getter for detritiation of N₂ gas streams. At temperatures of 150–550°C, Zr₂Fe reacts with N₂ at rates dx/dt(in Zr₂FeN_x) which follow the Arrhenius equation with activation energy Q = 35 kJ/mole. A maximum nitrogen concentration of x = 0.9 has been obtained in this study. In the presence of significant inventory of nitrogen, Zr₂Fe remains an effective getter material for detritiation of process streams. As nitrogen inventory in the Zr₂Fe increases, the getter performance, as measured by purification factors, is degraded somewhat, leading to a decrease in the maximum usable flow rate of the getter bed.