Niobium membrane superpermeability for hydrogen atoms and ions in the 2-400 eV energy range

With the aim of preventing tritium leakage through the walls of a thermonuclear reactor, the interaction of ion atomic hydrogen beams with niobium membrane under conditions of superhigh vacuum and in the energy range from 2 to 4000 eV is experimentally studied. Metal-glass supervacuum device contains investigated membrane (Nb, 20 μm), two similar ion sources on both sides from membrane and source of atomic beam. The membrane is heated from external light source from 20 to 1300 deg C. The density of the ion beam varies from 2x1013 to 2x1015 ion/cm2xs. Ion energy can change without noticeable alteration of beam density from approximately 0.1 to 7 keV. It is shown that when interacting with ions penetrability catastrophic from the point of view of tritium leakage increases up to complete membrane-wall transparency. Mebrane superpenetrability can take place up to the thickness of 1 cm and higher. On the other hand, the possibility of establishing the effective acceptor of hydrogen ions and atoms in the form of a superpenetrable membrane operating in the stationary regime (up to the scattering of a considerable part of thickness) practically accumulating no tritium, performing automatic purification and compression of deuterium-tritium mixture (compression degree is 105-106) is shown