R&Ds of Hydrogen Isotope Research Center and Future Prospects

Research and development at the Hydrogen Isotope Research Center of Toyama University in the last nine years are briefly reviewed by focusing attention on technological developments and topics of fundamental research. This paper describes technological developments in tritium measurement by bremsstrahlung counting, tritium gettering by Zr-based alloys, gas chromatographic hydrogen isotope separation and hydrogen energy conversion by Ni-hydride battery. The topics of fundamental research are material interactions taking place on the first wall of tokamaks, isotope effects on hydrogen absorption by Pd-Pt alloys, radiochemical effects of β-rays on tritium oxidation in gas phase and internal hydride formation of Mg-Ⅲa alloys. It is pointed out that hydrogen-material interactions must be understood in more detail so as to develop new energy systems using hydrogen isotopes as fuel by nuclear fusion and chemical reactions