Scale Up of Fabrication of Li₂O Pellets for Lithium Blanket Module (LBM) Application

Over 20,000 Li₂O cylindrical pellets of 25.4 mm diameter, 25.4 mm height, and about 80% theoretical density were fabricated by cold-pressing and sintering techniques for loading a lithium blanket module for neutronic and tritium breeding studies in TFTR. This paper describes the materials, equipment, procedures, specifications, quality control, and safety measures associated with this effort. The experiences gained in handling large quantity (∼600 kgs) of Li₂O powder and the fabrication of Li₂O pellets of production quantity (∼23,000) and reproducible composition, microstructures, and density help to lay the foundation for the fabrication of Li₂O blankets for tritium breeding in a fusion reactor.