Preparation of the first electrolytic plutonium and of uranium from fused chlorides

Journal Article · Mon Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1982 · J. Electrochem. Soc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2123562· OSTI ID:5526472

Kolodney, M

The production at Los Alamos of the first electrolytic plutonium is described. Because it was scarce, it was initially prepared on a 50 mg scale. The electrolyte consisted of PuCl/sub 3/ dissolved in a ternary eutectic o BaCl/sub 2/-KCl-NaCl and was operated at 660/sup 0/C. The technique involved the electrolysis of as little as 0.1 cm/sup 3/ of fused salt in a glass cell to produce liquid metal. Subsequently, a few successful 1g electrolyses were carried out with a maximum recovery of 75% of the plutonium content of the bath. It was found that the plutonium trichloride had to be dry and relatively low in oxygen and was, therefore, best prepared by dry methods. Electrolyses were performed under purified argon or hydrogen using tungsten or graphite anodes. The metallic product was pure and was used for early development of methods for cleaning, etching, and plating plutonium. Uranium was used for finding and testing techniques before plutonium became available. Acceptable deposits could not be obtained from UCl/sub 4/ dissolved in the ternary chloride eutectic, but were produced when UCl/sub 3/ was substituted for the tetrachloride. At about 650/sup 0/C, the uranium was deposited in the form of solid, dendriti crystals. These were, in general purer than the starting materials and were readily converted to massive metal.

• Research Organization: City College of the City, University of New York, New York, NY
• OSTI ID: 5526472
• Journal Information: J. Electrochem. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 129:11
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
PLUTONIUM
ELECTRODEPOSITION
PLUTONIUM CHLORIDES
ELECTROLYSIS
URANIUM
URANIUM CHLORIDES
ANODES
ARGON
BARIUM CHLORIDES
CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERES
DENDRITES
EUTECTICS
GRAPHITE
HYDROGEN
IMPURITIES
LIQUID METALS
MOLTEN SALTS
POTASSIUM CHLORIDES
PRODUCTION
SODIUM CHLORIDES
TUNGSTEN
ACTINIDE COMPOUNDS
ACTINIDES
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ATMOSPHERES
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
CARBON
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
CRYSTALS
DEPOSITION
ELECTRODES
ELEMENTAL MINERALS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
LIQUIDS
LYSIS
METALS
MINERALS
NONMETALS
PLUTONIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
RARE GASES
SALTS
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SURFACE COATING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
TRANSURANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
URANIUM COMPOUNDS
050400* - Nuclear Fuels- Feed Processing
400400 - Electrochemistry