Movement of implanted deuterium through stainless steel 304

• Published in: Journal of nuclear materials 1982-01, Vol.111, p.648-650
• Main Authors: Holland, D.F., Casper, L.A., Miller, L.G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0022-3115; 1873-4820
• DOI: 10.1016/0022-3115(82)90281-1

Movement of tritium in metals is a complex process involving dissociation of tritium molecules into atoms at a surface, diffusion of mobile atoms, trapping and release of atoms in the metal and release at a surface by recombining atoms into molecules. The surface recombination theory, which predicts hydrogen movement across metal surfaces, states that the dissociation rate is proportional to the neutral gas pressure, whereas the recombination rate is proportional to the surface concentration squared. A large uncertainty (several orders of magnitude) in the measured values of recombination rate has been attributed to the surface condition, particularly the presence of oxide layers. An experiment using SS304 has been conducted to determine the scope of the problem and provide a basis for designing an experiment to simulate reactor conditions. Preliminary results from the scoping experiment and the design for follow-on experiments are reported.--AA