Synthesis of americium trichloride via chlorination of americium oxide using zirconium tetrachloride in LiCl-KCl molten salt

Kersten, Bethany; Hawthorne, Krista; Williamson, Mark; Akolkar, Rohan; Duval, Christine E.

doi:10.1007/s10967-022-08527-3

Synthesis of americium trichloride via chlorination of americium oxide using zirconium tetrachloride in LiCl-KCl molten salt

Journal Article · Wed Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 2022 · Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08527-3· OSTI ID:2427981

Kersten, Bethany; Hawthorne, Krista; Williamson, Mark; Akolkar, Rohan; Duval, Christine E.

To better inform electrorefining operations of used nuclear fuel, a fundamental understanding of the electrochemical properties of each actinide in the molten salt electrolyte is needed. Access to actinide chlorides is thus required to support measurement of these properties. In this work, we synthesized americium trichloride through a novel pathway comprising chlorination of Am2O3 with ZrCl4 in a LiCl-KCl molten salt at 500 degrees C. The formation of AmCl3 was confirmed by cyclic voltammetry and gamma spectroscopy. This chlorination method does not produce mixed hazardous-radioactive waste and the byproduct, ZrO2, is not electrochemically active and does not affect the actinide electrodeposition reaction.

Research Organization:: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy - Nuclear Energy University Programs (NEUP)

DOE Contract Number:: AC02-06CH11357

OSTI ID:: 2427981

Journal Information:: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, Journal Name: Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 331; ISSN 0236-5731

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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