Technology Transfer Department

Application sectors

Problem to solve

Investigating the chemical compatibility of different families of materials with liquid Lithium; determination of the nitrogen content inside a solid Litum sample. Research institutions and companies involved in nuclear fusion currently appear the prevalent users.

Description

Lifus 6 is essentially constituted of two different intersecting loops. The main loop (isotherm), where Lithium generally flows in the range 10-30 L/min and up to 330°C, which houses the Test Section for the insertion of 8 specimens under investigation (they can be made of the same material or not). The secondary loop (purification loop), where Lithium flows at 0.3 L/min and which houses: the 'Cold Trap' (200-210°C), devoted to continuous purification of Lithium from Carbon, Oxygen and Hydrogen; the Resistivity Meter, able to online monitor the total concentration impurities; a sampler, to take a small volume (25 mL) of Lithium from the plant and later quantify in the lab, specifically, the Nitrogen concentration. The plant is additionally equipped with an 'Hot Trap', set outside the loops and directly linked to the Storage Tank, where all the Lithium inventory of the plant (about 20 kg) can be statically kept at 550-600°C in contact with a granular Titanium sponge for few to several days, in order to be purified from Nitrogen. 1 electromagnetic pump, 3 flowmeters, several thermocouples, valves, level sensors and pressure controllers permit to finely regulate all the experimental parameters and to work in safety conditions.

Research group involved