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内容記述 |
In fusion power generation, the isotope ratio of lithium-6 in breeding blanket materials is crucial for achieving the tritium self-sufficiency. Lithium-6 is an abundant resource in nature, but it constitutes only 7.6% of natural lithium. Therefore, isotope separation technology is essential to meet the lithium-6 ratio required in a fusion reactor. The amalgam method using mercury has been the only lithium isotope separation technology put into practical use so far. However, it is desirable to use another technology considering the impact of environmental pollution.At QST, we are conducting research and development on the extraction of high-purity lithium and the separation and enrichment of lithium-6 by electrodialysis using a lithium-ion conductor as a separator membrane. This technology utilizes the difference in diffusion rates of lithium ions in the ion conductor due to their mass. The ratio of diffusion coefficients between lithium-6 and lithium-7 is given by the square root of the inverse mass ratio, which is 1.08, and the separation factor characterizing the actual separation and enrichment performance is slightly lower than this value.In this presentation, we will discuss how the applied voltage affects the separation factor and the migration rate of lithium, and describe the trade-off tendency between them. Furthermore, we will discuss the scale of the production facility when the cascade theory is applied to the results. |
