Identification of lithium hydride and its hydrolysis products with neutron imaging

Abstract

In this study, lithium hydride (LiH) and its hydrolysis products were investigated non-destructively with neutron radiography and neutron computed tomography. Relative neutron transmission intensities (I/I 0) were measured for LiOH, Li 2 O and LiH, and their linear attenuation coefficients calculated from this data. We show that 7 Li is necessary for creating large differences in I/I 0 for facile identification of these compounds. The thermal decomposition of LiOH to Li 2 O was also observed with neutron radiography. Computed tomography shows that the samples were fairly homogeneous, with very few macroscopic defects. The results shown here demonstrate the feasibility of observing LiH hydrolysis with neutron imaging techniques in real time.

Characterization of Crystallographic Structures Using Bragg-Edge Neutron Imaging at the Spallation Neutron Source

“…have enabled more complex dynamic or real-time microstructure measurements [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Moreover, attenuation-based neutron imaging has been widely adopted to visualize micron-scale structures inside materials (porosity, density inhomogeneity) [11][12][13]. Compared to other imaging techniques such as X-ray imaging, neutron imaging has unique capabilities that allow measurement of bulk components as well as detection of lightweight elements (hydrogen and lithium) [14][15][16].…”

Intact, Commercial Lithium-Polymer Batteries: Spatially Resolved Grating-Based Interferometry Imaging, Bragg Edge Imaging, and Neutron Diffraction

“…Campillo-Robles et al provided the first neutron radiography images of lead-acid batteries sharing the challenges behind observing changes in eletrolytic concentrations due to a lack of sufficient contrast [26]. Several significant works have used neutron imaging to observe lithium concentrations and mobilities [27,28], lithium hydride and hydrolysis products [29], and lithium transport in battery fuel cells with sintered electrodes [30]. In the case of X-ray imaging, porosity within cylindrical cells has been observed and characterized using imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) [31].…”

Sustainable hydrogen production via LiH hydrolysis for unmanned air vehicle (UAV) applications

“…LiH is a material whose implementation requires a strict control of storage and handling. The reaction of LiH with water is highly exothermic and the control of the temperature increase during the reaction itself is of major importance [41]. Thus, LiH must be handled and protected under inert atmosphere to prevent any risk of unnecessary reaction with the atmospheric humidity and inflammation [42].…”