Properties of lithium and its handling

not registered; Kano, Shigeki; Tachi, Yoshiaki  ; Kawai, Masataka *

Lithium is one of goodcoolants because of high boiling point (1317C), small specific gravity (0.47 at 600C) and large specific heat (1cal/g/C). Therefore if lithium will be used in fast reactor for coolant, the heat efficiency of reactor will largely increase. Here the fundamental properties of lithium and the results of examination on chemical reaction, combustion and extinction are shown. These examinations were also carried out on sodium to compare with lithium. The differences between both are that lithium reacts more moderately with water, not explosive, and is not combustible but after ignition burns at higher temperature and longer.