Lithium deuteride

To initiate such a D-T fusion reaction requires temperatures of 10-100 million degrees. Relatively large amounts of deuterium/tritium and/or lithium deuteride can be heated to such temperatures by a fission explosion where the temperature may be 108 K. (Tritium is generated in situ by the neutron bombardment of i during the fusion reaction by the reaction 6Li + n —> 3H + 4He + n + 17 MeV, thus making the overall fusion reaction 6Li + 2H —> 2 4He + 21.78 MeV). 

ELEX [ELectrochemical Exchange] A process for separating lithium isotopes for use in making lithium deuteride for use in nuclear weapons. Operated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, from 1951 to 1959, until this process was replaced by the COLEX process. 

Nuclear fusion reactions involve combinations of nuclei. The fusion reaction of the hydrogen bomb involves the fusing of deuterium, jH, in lithium deuteride, Li H ... 

Veleckis, E. Yonco, R. M. Maroni, V. A. "Solubility of Lithium Deuteride in Liquid Lithium" J. Less-Common Metals, 1977, 55. 

Ionic hydride reductions of halophosphorus compounds that are effective for phosphine syntheses are adaptable to deuteriophosphine syntheses. Lithium-deuteride reductions yield phosphorus subhydride, phosphine or alkyl- or arylphosphines ... 

A corresponding deuterated derivative is conveniently prepared from lithium deuteride in quantitative yield the reagent Super-Deuteride is also commercially available from Aldrich. The ready availability of this reagent offers a simple means of introducing deuterium into the system with stereochemical inversion at the center undergoing substitution. An example is shown in Scheme 20. 

Preparation By reacting aluminum chloride with lithium deuteride. 

A.C. Ho, R.C. Hanson A. Chizmeshya (1997). Phys. Rev. B, 55, 14818-14829. Second-order Raman spectroscopic study of lithium hydride and lithium deuteride at high pressure. 

A particular benefit of lithium in thermonuclear weapons comes as a result of its stable nature. Pure deuterium is difficult to store, as it must be kept at very low temperatures. When combined with lithium, however, into lithium deuteride (LiD)—a solid with low reactivity—deuterium can be easily transported at ambient temperatures. The lithium itself is usually enriched with the lithium 6 isotope when used for this purpose. 

Tritium (Table 9.1) occurs in the upper atmosphere and is formed naturally by reaction 9.5, involving neutrons arriving from outer space. Tritium (see Section 2.8) was first obtained synthetically by the bombardment of deuterium compounds such as [ND4]2S04 with fast neutrons, but is now prepared from lithium deuteride, LiF or Mg/Li enriched in 3Li (equation 9.6). 

USE Used extensively IP small amts as tracer in the establishment of rates and kinetics of chemical reactions/ Wiberg, Chem. Revs 55, 713-743 (1955). The hydrogen bomb contains Lithium deuteride (LiD) as explosive and plutonium following reaction sequence takes place (nuclear fusion) Li + D —... 

In modern dry bombs, by making tritium from lithium deuteride. 

Konopinski... guess ibid, lithium deuteride cf. Teller to Op- 423. 

In one type of hydrogen bomb, lithium deuteride ( Lij H, a solid salt) is placed around an ordinary or g Pu fission bomb. The fission reaction is set off in the usual way. A Li nucleus absorbs one of the neutrons produced and splits into tritium and helium. 

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