Basic technology for 6Li enrichment using an ionic-liquid impregnated organic membrane

The tritium needed as a fuel for fusion reactors is produced by the neutron capture reaction of lithium-6 (6Li) in tritium breeding materials. However, natural Li contains only about 7.6 at.% 6Li. In this paper, a new lithium isotope separation technique using an ionic-liquid impregnated organic membrane is proposed. In order to separate and concentrate lithium isotopes, only lithium ions are able to move through the membrane by electrodialysis between the cathode and the anode in lithium solutions. Preliminary experiments of lithium isotope separation were conducted using this phenomenon. Organic membranes impregnated with TMPA-TFSI and PP13-TFSI as ionic liquids were prepared, and the relationship between the 6Li separation coefficient and the applied electrodialytic conditions was evaluated using them. The results showed that the 6Li isotope separation coefficient in this method (about 1.1–1.4) was larger than that in the mercury amalgam method (about 1.06).