Hydrogen solubility and electrical resistivity measurements of hydrogenated Pb-Li

The study of the interaction of hydrogen isotopes with the Pb-Li eutectic alloy is of interest for the design of the fusion reactor breeding blankets. Particularly, the solubility of the hydrogen isotopes in the Pb-Li eutectic alloy significantly affects the tritium inventory and permeation in the blankets. Furthermore, the electrical resistivity of hydrogenated Pb-Li is of concern for the assessment of MHD regimes. In analogy with other hydrogen/metal systems, a modification of the electric properties is expected by varying the hydrogen content. So far, the literature reports large discrepancies for the measurements in Pb-Li of both the hydrogen isotopes solubility (2-3 orders of magnitude) and the electrical resistivity (more than 1 order of magnitude). This work reports the results of hydrogen solubility in Pb-Li in the temperature and pressure ranges 250-450 °C and 20-150 kPa, respectively. Preliminary electrical resistivity measurements have been carried out at 360 °C in Ar and in hydrogen (250 kPa).