Plutonium recovery from spent reactor fuel by uranium displacement
This report discusses a process for separating uranium values and transuranic values from fission products containing rare earth values when the values which are contained together in a molten chloride salt electrolyte. A molten chloride salt electrolyte with a first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is contacted with both a solid cathode and an anode having values of uranium and fission products including plutonium. A voltage is applied across the anode and cathode electrolytically to transfer uranium and plutonium from the anode to the electrolyte while uranium values in the electrolyte electrolytically deposit as uranium metal on the solid cathode in an amount equal to the uranium and plutonium transferred from the anode causing the electrolyte to have a second ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride. Then the solid cathode with the uranium metal deposited thereon is removed and molten cadmium having uranium dissolved therein is brought into contact with the electrolyte resulting in chemical transfer of plutonium values from the electrolyte to the molten cadmium and transfer of uranium values from the molten cadmium to the electrolyte until the first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is re-established.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Patent Number(s):
- PATENTS-US-A7703641
- Application Number:
- ON: DE93011998; PPN: US 7-703641
- OSTI ID:
- 6636551
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 21 May 1991
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Plutonium recovery from spent reactor fuel by uranium displacement
Plutonium recovery from spent reactor fuel by uranium displacement
Related Subjects
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
PLUTONIUM
MATERIALS RECOVERY
SPENT FUELS
REPROCESSING
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTROLYTES
IFR REACTOR
INVENTIONS
PLUTONIUM CHLORIDES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
SEPARATION PROCESSES
URANIUM
URANIUM CHLORIDES
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EXPERIMENTAL REACTORS
FAST REACTORS
FUELS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
METALS
NUCLEAR FUELS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
REACTOR MATERIALS
REACTORS
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
ZERO POWER REACTORS
050800* - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing
400105 - Separation Procedures
400400 - Electrochemistry