A thermal desorption study of the surface interaction between tritium and type 316 stainless steel

The thermal desorption of tritium from a type 316 stainless steel exposed to gaseous tritium (HT-gas) was studied. In the desorption spectra of tritium, four distinct peaks appeared at about 430 (peak HT-1), 540 (peak HTO), 750 (peak HT-II) and 970 K (peak HT-III). The activation energies for the peaks HT-I, HTO and HT-II were determined as 20 ± 4, 27 ±7 and 55 ±9 kJ/mol, respectively. It is presumed that the tritium leading to the peak HTO forms tritoxyl ion (OT^?) by combining with surface O^2? ion or by the isotopic exchange with the protium of surface OH^? ion on the sorption process. The OT ion combines with the OH^? ion or the dissolved protium into HTO at the desorption process. The tritium leading to both peaks HT-II and HT-III is sorbed and dissociates into atomic species which diffuse into the bulk, while that leading to the peak HT-I is very weakly held on the topmost surface of stainless steel in the form of a molecule or HT⁺ ion.