Thorium metal production by a chlorination process

Technical Report · Tue Jun 10 04:00:00 EDT 1958

OSTI ID:4264790

Gibson, A. R.; Buddery, J. H.; Chalkley, J. R.; Marshall, R. P.

The production of thorium metal from thorium oxide via a chloride route is described. The route is based on the formation in situ of anhydrous thorium chioride in an alkali chloride melt, the melt being maintained molten throughout the process. It consists of two stages: chlorination of a thoria-carbon mixture suspended in a fused alkali chloride bath to yield a melt of thorium chloride dissolved in alkali chiorides; and the electrolysis of this melt to produce thorium metal at the cathode. The chlorination stage of the process is more difficult technologically than the electrolysis stage. Basically, it comprises the reaction ThO/sub 2/ + 2C + 2Cl/sub 2/ yields ThCl/sub 4/ + 2CO. The variables affecting this reaction have been extensively studied, and from this study three different ways of carrying out this reaction have been developed. These are: chlorination of thoria suspended in a fused chloride melt by cylinder chlorine, using the carbon in the form of a shaped block, and iron chloride as a catalyst; chlorination of an intimate mixture of thoria and carbon suspended in a melt by cylinder chlorine, without a catalyst; and chlorination of thoria suspended in a melt by nascent chlorine liberated at a carbon anode surface, the anode itself serving as reducing agent. The relative advantages of these routes are discussed. (auth)

• Research Organization: Atomic Energy Research Establishment, Harwell (United Kingdom)
• NSA Number: NSA-13-006374
• OSTI ID: 4264790
• Report Number(s): A/CONF.15/P/1468
• Country of Publication: United Kingdom
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALKALI METALS
ANODES
CARBON
CARBON MONOXIDE
CATALYSIS
CATHODES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
CHLORIDES
CHLORINATION
CHLORINE
CONFIGURATION
ELECTROCHEMISTRY
ELECTRODEPOSITION
ELECTROLYSIS
FABRICATION
FUSED SALTS
GASES
GRAIN SIZE
IMPURITIES
IRON CHLORIDES
LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
METALS
MIXING
OPERATION
PERFORMANCE
PREPARATION
PRODUCTION
QUANTITY RATIO
REACTION KINETICS
REDUCTION
SOLIDS
SOLUTIONS
SUSPENSIONS
THORIUM
THORIUM CHLORIDES
THORIUM OXIDES
WATER