Quantification of lithium in hyper-stoichiometric lithium titanate by external (in air) particle induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) method

Lithium titanate is one of the crucial breeder materials in nuclear fusion reactors. High lithium atomic density is the most desired property for this application. In view of this, advanced lithium titanate (Li_2+xTiO_3+y) ceramics with varying stoichiometry of Li were synthesized at temperatures in the range of 900-1100 °C and characterized using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. External (in air) particle induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) method was utilized for the quantification of lithium in the direct solid samples using ¹⁴N (from air) as an external current normalizer. The method was validated using certified lithium titanate reference material. The obtained results are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical values. The present study highlights the advantages of the external PIGE as a simple non-destructive method of quantification of Li in ceramics over conventional methods. (author)