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Chlorination of HALEU regulus casting dross

Journal Article · · Progress in Nuclear Energy
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
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A scoping study was performed for chlorinating dross formed during uranium casting operations. Here, the purpose is to minimize the losses of uranium to dross wastes. The dross is primarily a mixture of uranium metal and uranium oxide with a minor fraction of crucible and crucible coating materials. The reaction chemistries were performed in a carrier salt of LiCl-KCl eutectic at 500 °C. The addition of FeCl2 chlorinated the uranium metal to UCl3, by reducing the FeCl2 to iron metal. After the uranium metal was chlorinated, zirconium metal was added to the salt. The residual FeCl2 chlorinated the zirconium metal to ZrCl4, by reducing the FeCl2 to iron metal. In turn, the ZrCl4 chlorinated the uranium oxide to UCl3, by converting the ZrCl4 to zirconium oxide. The effectiveness of the chlorination reactions was qualitatively verified by cyclic voltammograms that indicated the presence or absence of FeCl2 and UCl3 in the salt.
Research Organization:
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
AC07-05ID14517
OSTI ID:
2462687
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2448119
Report Number(s):
INL/JOU-24-78417-Rev000
Journal Information:
Progress in Nuclear Energy, Journal Name: Progress in Nuclear Energy Vol. 177; ISSN 0149-1970
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (6)

UCl3 synthesis in molten LiCl–KCl and NaCl–MgCl2 via galvanically coupled uranium oxidation and FeCl2 reduction journal April 2023
Development of a Ceramic-Lined Crucible for the Separation of Salt from Uranium journal September 2009
Electrochemical Behavior of Zirconium in an in-situ Preparing LiCl−KCl−ZrCl4 Molten Slat journal May 2015
Electrochemical studies on the redox behaviour of zirconium in molten LiCl–KCl eutectic journal March 2009
Electrochemical Identification of Metal Chlorides in Eutectic LiCl-KCl Without Prior Knowledge of Analyte Identities journal June 2024
Review—Electrochemical Measurements in Molten Salt Systems: A Guide and Perspective journal January 2019

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Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
HALEU
casting
chlorination
dross
pyroprocessing
uranium