Pure copper tested in liquid lithium in the range 200–800°C shows brittle failure and a reduced elongation. Examination of the fracture faces indicates that this is due to a corrosion-type reaction and not to classical liquid-metal embrittlement as reported in the literature. The corrosion reaction yields a copper-lithium Intermediate phase which has not previously been described. Analysis by several different techniques suggests that the composition is near Cu4Li with a face-centred cubic structure of lattice parameter varying from 0.3638 nm at 600°C to 0.3647 nm at 200°C.
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