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Arturs Zarins1,2, Laura Dace Pakalniete1, Annija Liepkalne1, Liga Avotina1, Artis Kons3, Guna Krieke4, Jekabs Cirulis4, Andris Antuzevics4
1 – Institute of Chemical Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia; 2 – Department of Environment and Technologies, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Healthcare, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, Latvia; 3 – Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia; 4 – Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia
Biphasic lithium orthosilicate (Li4SiO4) – lithium metatitanate (Li2TiO3) ceramics are being developed and tested worldwide as a potential material for tritium breeding in thermonuclear fusion reactors. In the present work, the influence of lithium precursor deficiency and excess during solid-state synthesis on radiation-induced effects in biphasic Li4SiO4-Li2TiO3 ceramics is investigated. The two-phase Li4SiO4-Li2TiO3 powder samples with various contents of lithium precursor were prepared and characterised using different physico-chemical methods, e.g., X-ray diffraction, attenuated total reflectance – Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, etc. For comparison purposes, the single-phase Li4SiO4 and Li2TiO3 powder samples were prepared using similar approach. Rietveld analysis of high-resolution X-ray diffraction patterns was employed to determine the potential changes of crystal lattice parameters and atomic positions. The formed and accumulated paramagnetic radiation-induced defect centres in the prepared samples after irradiation with X-rays were studied using electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The obtained results show that the deficiency and excess of the lithium precursor considerably influence the phase composition of the biphasic Li4SiO4-Li2TiO3 samples. Although the types of paramagnetic centres generated in the prepared samples are similar, their relative intensities vary depending on the content of lithium precursor.
This work has been carried out within the framework of the Latvian Council of Science project No. LZP-2024/1-0162 “Influence of stoichiometry on radiation-induced effects in advanced two-phase functional materials for future thermonuclear fusion reactors”.
