This paper describes the facilities of the Institute of Atomic Energy of the National Nuclear Centre of the Republic of Kazakhstan (IAE NNC RK) (Kurchatov, Kazakhstan) designed to conduct studies on the interaction of hydrogen isotopes with materials of nuclear and fusion reactors with and without neutron irradiation. Experiments with sample irradiation are carried out at the LIANA facility, which is located at the IVG.1M reactor. The VIKA and TiGrA installations are designed to conduct experiments with materials before or after irradiation using the temperature-programmed desorption spectroscopy (VIKA), thermogravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry (TiGrA) methods. The main results of some experimental studies are also presented.

Lithium-based oxide ceramics are considered as the candidate materials for solid breeders of future fusion reactors’ blankets. Breeder’s goal is effective, safe and reliable production of tritium as a result of lithium-neutron reactions. Main candidates as a breeder material are Li2O, Li4SiO4, Li2TiO3 and Li2ZrO3, which are able to keep their physical-chemical properties despite of lithium burn-up. Lithium metatitanate Li2TiO3 attracts the great attention due to its chemical stability and high speed of tritium release under low temperatures (from 200 to 400°C). This paper contains the results of the studies on tritium and helium release from the samples of irradiated lithium ceramics Li2TiO3.