Multiphase lithium-containing ceramics based on Li2TiO3, Li2ZrO3, Li2MoO4: synthesis, structure, and strengthening

Abstract

The influence of the formation of two- and three-phase lithium-containing ceramics based on Li₂TiO₃, Li₂ZrO₃ and Li₂MoO₄ on their structural and mechanical properties was investigated in the context of their application in tritium breeding systems. The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of enhancing the mechanical stability of lithium-containing ceramics by controlling the phase composition and implementing interphase strengthening mechanisms.

Multiphase ceramic materials were synthesized using a mechanochemical solid-state method followed by thermal treatment at 700 °C. The phase composition and degree of crystallinity of the samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, while the mechanical properties were evaluated by assessing the resistance to uniaxial compression. It was shown that the applied synthesis route provides the formation of ceramics with a high degree of crystallinity and a stable phase composition.

It was established that variation of the phase ratio leads to an increase in the critical fracture load under uniaxial compression of two-phase ceramics by more than 1.5 times compared to single-phase materials, while the introduction of Li₂MoO₄ provides an additional increase of this parameter for three-phase ceramics (up to 1.5–1.6 times relative to two-phase materials). The obtained results demonstrate the potential of multiphase lithium-containing ceramics for application in blanket systems of thermonuclear reactors.