Recovery of UO.sub.2 /Pu O.sub.2 in IFR electrorefining process

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869560

Tomczuk, Zygmunt ^[1]; Miller, William E ^[2]

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1. Lockport, IL
2. Naperville, IL

A process for converting PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 present in an electrorefiner to the chlorides, by contacting the PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 with Li metal in the presence of an alkali metal chloride salt substantially free of rare earth and actinide chlorides for a time and at a temperature sufficient to convert the UO.sub.2 and PuO.sub.2 to metals while converting Li metal to Li.sub.2 O. Li.sub.2 O is removed either by reducing with rare earth metals or by providing an oxygen electrode for transporting O.sub.2 out of the electrorefiner and a cathode, and thereafter applying an emf to the electrorefiner electrodes sufficient to cause the Li.sub.2 O to disassociate to O.sub.2 and Li metal but insufficient to decompose the alkali metal chloride salt. The U and Pu and excess lithium are then converted to chlorides by reaction with CdCl.sub.2.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5356605
• OSTI ID: 869560
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

recovery
uo
ifr
electrorefining
process
converting
puo
electrorefiner
chlorides
contacting
metal
presence
alkali
chloride
salt
substantially
free
rare
earth
actinide
time
temperature
sufficient
convert
metals
removed
reducing
providing
oxygen
electrode
transporting
cathode
thereafter
applying
emf
electrodes
disassociate
insufficient
decompose
excess
lithium
converted
reaction
cdcl
oxygen electrode
metal chloride
substantially free
alkali metal
rare earth
earth metal
temperature sufficient
earth metals
chloride salt
refining process
electrodes sufficient
electrorefining process
excess lithium
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