Material Management Options for Excess Enriched Lithium Inventories at the Y-12 National Security Complex

Essentially all U.S. enriched 6lithium (6Li), except that in the military controlled deployed stockpile, is managed and stored at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). This paper first looks at the enriched 6Li inventory and inventories to support Defense Program requirements by new direct recycle methods. The available inventory of enriched 6Li is more than adequate to meet the requirements of the weapons program and other potential uses. Furthermore, Y-12 is expecting to receive substantial additional inventories of enriched 6Li in the form of lithium hydride/ deuteride (6LiH/D) as a consequence of planned nuclear weapons dismantlements. However, a detailed assessment of enriched lithium inventory projections (considering receipts, dismantlements, and shipments) shows that enriched 6Li storage requirements will increase significantly in the next few years and that available and currently authorized storage capacity falls short of projected storage requirements. Dismantlement programs require Y-12 to assign large amounts of storage space for separating materials into temporary locations to be inventoried, processed, packaged, and stored or shipped, which may take months to years. The fact that storage space for the 6LiH/D material is projected to be exhausted in the near-term has led to the formulation of contingency plans being put in place by as early as FY 13. An additional concern is that due to the unstable and reactive nature of the 6LiH/D material, conversion to a stable form prior to disposition is required. Currently, there is no established disposition path for 6LiH/D. A variety of material management options for the excess enriched 6Li are under consideration. One option is to locate potential customers for reuse, recycle or sale of excess 6Li. For example, preliminary research conducted by Y-12 indicates there are potential customers for the excess enriched lithium material for use in areas such as fusion energy, high energy physics, neutron detection, reactor shielding, or space applications. This paper will describe NNSA’s enriched 6Li inventory, material management options (including a description of the technologies involved for the disposition of Li), benefits/ drawbacks of each option, and address planned future activities.