Yes, it is possible to breed tritium in lithium hydride (LiH) through a process known as neutron capture. Neutron capture is a nuclear reaction in which an atomic nucleus absorbs a neutron, resulting in the creation of a new isotope.
In a fusion reactor, such as a tokamak, one of the reactions that occurs to produce energy is the fusion of deuterium (D) and tritium (T) isotopes. However, tritium is not readily available in nature and needs to be produced within the reactor itself. This is where lithium hydride comes into play.
Lithium hydride, when exposed to high-energy neutrons, undergoes a nuclear reaction called lithium-6 (Li-6) neutron capture. In this reaction, lithium-6 absorbs a neutron and transforms into lithium-7 (Li-7) and tritium. The tritium produced can then be extracted and used as a fuel for fusion reactions.
The overall reaction can be represented as follows:
Li-6 + n (neutron) → He-4 (helium) + T (tritium)
So, by utilizing lithium hydride and exposing it to a neutron source, such as the high-energy neutrons produced in a fusion reactor, it is indeed possible to breed tritium through the neutron capture process.