Abstract
Lithium aluminate, LiAlO_2 (LA) in the Li_2O-Al_2O_3 system is long been known to be used as an important material in molten carbonate fuel cell and nuclear applications [1-5]. LA exists as three polymorphic forms: α-, β- and γ- with hexagonal, monoclinic and tetragonal structures respectively [2,4]. The α- form (low temperature phase) undergoes transformation to the γ-form (the high temperature phase) at about 900℃, while the metastable β-form is assumed to transform to the γ-phase at about 900℃. As the γ-LA exhibits the essential chemical, thermophysical and mechanical stability at high temperature along with the required irradiation behavior, it finds application as a tritiumbreeding blanket in fusion reactors. The capture of neutron by ~6Li is known to occur as follows [4].
NSTL