The decomposition of LiAlD4 studied by in-situ X-ray and neutron diffraction

The decomposition of LiAlD4 was studied by thermal desorption spectroscopy and neutron and synchrotron X-ray in-situ diffraction. The first two reaction stages (3LiAlD(4)=Li3AlD6+2Al+3D(2) and Li3AlD6=3LiD+Al+3/2D(2)) were confirmed. No other intermediate phases were observed. Both reactions are very heat-rate dependent. The lowest temperature measured for complete reactions were 112 and 127 degreesC, respectively. Based on refinements of the unit-cell dimensions, neither LiAlD4 nor LiAlD4 lose any D-2 prior to their thermal decompositions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.