Study of Potentiometry for Monitoring Activity of GdCl3 in Molten LiCl-KCl Salt

Cao, Guoping; Herrmann, Steven; Fredrickson, Guy; Hoover, Robert

doi:10.1149/2754-2734/aca214

Study of Potentiometry for Monitoring Activity of GdCl₃ in Molten LiCl-KCl Salt

Journal Article · Tue Nov 22 00:00:00 EST 2022 · ECS Advances

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/2754-2734/aca214· OSTI ID:1969138

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Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

In pyroprocessing spent nuclear fuels by electrorefining in molten LiCl-KCl salt, it is desired to monitor in real time the UCl₃ concentration in the salt for safeguards purposes. Current chemical analysis of the highly radioactive salt for electrorefining by an inductively coupled plasma technique is inconvenient and usually time-consuming in generating the salt composition results. In this paper, we evaluated whether a simple potentiometry approach can be used for real-time monitoring the concentration of GdCl₃, which was used as a surrogate for UCl₃, in LiCl-KCl-GdCl₃ salt by measuring the open circuit potential of a Gd metal electrode with respect to a Ag/AgCl reference electrode (RE) when GdCl₃ salt was incrementally added to the LiCl-KCl salt. Additions of LaCl₃, CeCl₃ and NdCl₃ salts were used for evaluating the effects of other chloride salts on the selectivity of the Gd metal electrode vs Ag/AgCl RE. While using potentiometry to determine GdCl₃ concentrations, Gd metal was unexpectedly observed to be unstable and dissolved in LiCl-KCl salt when GdCl₃ is present.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC07-05ID14517

OSTI ID:: 1969138

Report Number(s):: INL/JOU-19-55843-Rev000

Journal Information:: ECS Advances, Journal Name: ECS Advances Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 1; ISSN 2754-2734

Publisher:: IOP PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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