Editing Tritium (section)

=== Lithium ===
Tritium is most often produced in [[nuclear reactor]]s by [[neutron activation]] of [[lithium-6]]. The release and diffusion of tritium and helium produced by the fission of lithium can take place within ceramics known as [[Breeding blanket|breeder ceramics]]. Production of tritium from lithium-6 in such breeder ceramics is possible with neutrons of any energy, though the cross section is higher when the incident neutrons have lower energy, reaching more than 900 [[barn (unit)|barn]]s for [[thermal neutron]]s. This is an [[exothermic]] reaction, yielding 4.8&nbsp;[[MeV]].<ref name="t-breeding">{{cite journal |last=Rubel |first=M. |title=Fusion neutrons: tritium breeding and impact on wall materials and components of diagnostic systems |date=2019 |journal= Journal of Fusion Energy |volume=38 |issue=3–4 |pages=315–329 |doi=10.1007/s10894-018-0182-1|s2cid=125723024 |doi-access=free |bibcode=2019JFuE...38..315R }}</ref> In comparison, [[Deuterium–tritium fusion|fusion of deuterium with tritium]] releases about 17.6&nbsp;MeV. For applications in proposed fusion energy reactors, such as [[ITER]], pebbles consisting of lithium bearing ceramics including Li{{sub|2}}TiO{{sub|3}} and Li{{sub|4}}SiO{{sub|4}}, are being developed for tritium breeding within a helium-cooled pebble bed, also known as a breeder blanket.<ref>
{{cite journal
 | last1 = Hanaor   | first1 = Dorian A.H.
 | last2 = Kolb     | first2 = Matthias H.H.
 | last3 = Gan      | first3 = Yixiang
 | last4 = Kamlah   | first4 = Marc
 | last5 = Knitter  | first5 = Regina
 | year = 2015
 | title = Solution based synthesis of mixed-phase materials in the Li{{sub|2}}TiO{{sub|3}}–Li{{sub|4}}SiO{{sub|4}} system
 | journal = Journal of Nuclear Materials
 | volume = 456  | pages = 151–161
 | doi = 10.1016/j.jnucmat.2014.09.028
 | arxiv = 1410.7128  | bibcode = 2015JNuM..456..151H
 | s2cid = 94426898
}}
</ref>

: {{nuclide|link=yes|lithium|6}} + [[Neutron|n]] → {{nuclide|link=yes|helium|4}} (2.05 MeV) + {{nuclide|hydrogen|3}} (2.75 MeV)

High-energy neutrons can also produce tritium from [[lithium-7]] in an [[endothermic]] reaction, consuming 2.466&nbsp;MeV. This was discovered when the 1954 [[Castle Bravo#High yield|Castle Bravo]] nuclear test produced an unexpectedly high yield.<ref name=ieer>
{{cite report
 |last=Zerriffi |first=Hisham
 |date=January 1996
 |title=Tritium: The environmental, health, budgetary, and strategic effects of the Department of Energy's decision to produce tritium
 |publisher=[[Institute for Energy and Environmental Research]]
 |url=http://www.ieer.org/reports/tritium.html#(11)
 |access-date=15 September 2010
}}
</ref> Prior to this test, it was incorrectly assumed that {{nuclide|lithium|7}} would absorb a neutron to become {{nuclide|lithium|8}}, which would beta-decay to {{nuclide|link=yes|beryllium|8}}, which in turn would decay to two {{nuclide|helium|4}} nuclei on a total timeframe much longer than the duration of the explosion.

: {{nuclide|link=yes|lithium|7}} + [[Neutron|n]] → {{nuclide|link=yes|helium|4}} + {{nuclide|hydrogen|3}} + [[Neutron|n]]