Electrochemical behavior of Nd and its co-reduction with Bi in molten LiCl-KCl salts - 18360

Conference · Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 2018

OSTI ID:22975487

Kim, Beom Kyu; Han, Hwa Jeong; Park, Ji Hye; Kim, Won Ki; Park, Byung Gi ^[1]

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1. Soonchunhyang University (Korea, Republic of)

A molten salt phase is used as the solvent in pyrochemical reprocessing. The molten salt waste generated in pyro-processes contains the residual lanthanides and actinides as various compounds. Various methods have been proposed for recovering and recycling these useful elements. The separation of actinides from lanthanides is performed by electrolysis or reductive extraction. Herein we have studied PyroRedSox-based co-reduction of Nd and Bi via electrolysis in a molten chloride salt. The redox behavior of Nd and the formation potential of intermetallic compounds of Nd and Bi were determined using cyclic voltammetry (CV). Electrorefining was performed under a constant reductive potential at 773 K in LiCl-KCl eutectic mixture; the co-reduction potential was -1.37 V. Lastly, the co-reduction potential of the intermetallic compound was applied to reduce the amount of Nd and Bi. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that various kinds of intermetallic compounds were formed in Bi and Nd, and were deposed in the lower part of the molten salt, allowing purification of the contaminated molten salt. (authors)

• Research Organization: WM Symposia, Inc., PO Box 27646, 85285-7646 Tempe, AZ (United States)
• OSTI ID: 22975487
• Report Number(s): INIS-US--20-WM-18360
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ACTINIDES
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTROREFINING
EUTECTICS
INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM CHLORIDES
MOLTEN SALTS
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
PURIFICATION
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
RARE EARTHS
RECYCLING
REDUCTIVE EXTRACTION
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
SELECTIVE CATALYTIC REDUCTION
VOLTAMETRY