Fabrication of Porous LiAlO² Ceramic Breeder Material

The gamma-LiAlO₂ ceramic material is the reference candidate for the solid breeder option of the Next European Torus Program. The experiments and methodologies developed in Italy to produce high surface area gamma-LiAl02 powders to be compacted by cold pressing and sintering at 70 to 90% of the theoretical density, keeping a near fully open porosity is presented. The lithiating step was assessed for the Li₂CO₃ and Li₂O₂ precursors reacting with Al₂O₃ having submicron grain size. Sol-gel methodologies were also developed for the gamma-LiAlO₂ preparation by which very high surface area ceramic grade powders were obtained.