Isotope exchange reaction between tritiated water and hydrogen on SiC

SiC has been considered as a primary candidate material for a first wall component in future fusion reactor because it has been claimed that SiC has excellent high-temperature properties, good chemical stability and low activation. However, the behavior of tritium on SiC has not been discussed yet. In this study, tritium trapping capacity on the surface of SiC was experimentally obtained at the temperature range of 25–800 °C in consideration of tritium trapping to the experimental system. The capacity, which was independent of the water vapor pressure in the gas phase and the temperature, was determined as about 106 Bq/cm2. The isotope exchange reaction rate between tritiated water in a gas phase and hydrogen on the surface was quantified at the temperature of 25, 500 and 700 °C in consideration of the behavior of tritium trapping at change of experimental condition by the numerical curve fitting method applying the serial reactor model. The reaction rate was observed to be constant as 3.48 × 10−5 m/s. Additionally tritium release behavior from the surface of SiC in water vapor atmosphere was predicted and compared with that for graphite and stainless steel.