Experiments in anodic film effects during electrorefining of scrap U-10Mo fuels in support of modeling efforts

Conference · Mon Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013

OSTI ID:22257853

Van Kleeck, M. ^[1]; Willit, J.; Williamson, M. A. ^[2]; Fentiman, A. W. ^[1]

---

1. School of Nuclear Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907 (United States)
2. Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439 (United States)

A monolithic uranium molybdenum alloy clad in zirconium has been proposed as a low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel option for research and test reactors, as part of the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors program. Scrap from the fuel's manufacture will contain a significant portion of recoverable LEU. Pyroprocessing has been identified as an option to perform this recovery. A model of a pyroprocessing recovery procedure has been developed to assist in refining the LEU recovery process and designing the facility. Corrosion theory and a two mechanism transport model were implemented on a Mat-Lab platform to perform the modeling. In developing this model, improved anodic behavior prediction became necessary since a dense uranium-rich salt film was observed at the anode surface during electrorefining experiments. Experiments were conducted on uranium metal to determine the film's character and the conditions under which it forms. The electro-refiner salt used in all the experiments was eutectic LiCl/KCl containing UCl{sub 3}. The anodic film material was analyzed with ICP-OES to determine its composition. Both cyclic voltammetry and potentiodynamic scans were conducted at operating temperatures between 475 and 575 C. degrees to interrogate the electrochemical behavior of the uranium. The results show that an anodic film was produced on the uranium electrode. The film initially passivated the surface of the uranium on the working electrode. At high over potentials after a trans-passive region, the current observed was nearly equal to the current observed at the initial active level. Analytical results support the presence of K{sub 2}UCl{sub 6} at the uranium surface, within the error of the analytical method.

• Research Organization: American Nuclear Society, 555 North Kensington Avenue, La Grange Park, IL 60526 (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22257853
• Resource Relation: Conference: GLOBAL 2013: International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference - Nuclear Energy at a Crossroads, Salt Lake City, UT (United States), 29 Sep - 3 Oct 2013; Other Information: Country of input: France; 7 refs.; Related Information: In: Proceedings of GLOBAL 2013: International Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference - Nuclear Energy at a Crossroads| 1633 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ANODES
CORROSION
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTROREFINING
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
ENRICHED URANIUM
FILMS
LITHIUM CHLORIDES
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
PLASMA
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS
SCRAP
SIMULATION
SURFACES
TRANSPORT THEORY
URANIUM CHLORIDES
VOLTAMETRY
ZIRCONIUM