Studies of a liquid anode for plutonium electrorefining
They are developing a solvent anode as an alternate method for producing plutonium metal of high purity by an electrorefining process. The goals are to produce metal of 99.98% purity with an anode residue containing less than 2% of the plutonium in the feed material. If they are successful, they will design and demonstrate a system utilizing semi-continuous and remotely controlled operations. Establishing a solvent anode method should lead to improved yields and a substantial reduction in the amount of residues generated by the electrorefining process. The new method should be a viable pyrochemical technique for recovering both plutonium and uranium from spent reactor fuel. Initially, the anode consists of a tantalum rod immersed in a pool of liquid cadmium at 740C. Impure plutonium or a solid anode residue is in contact with the cadmium. As current passes through the anode, plutonium in the cadmium is oxidized and transfers into the molten salt as tripositive plutonium. More plutonium dissolves into the cadmium and the oxidation continues. The tri-positive plutonium is carried through the salt to the cathode, where it is reduced to pure, liquid metal. This metal, which is heavier than the salt, drips from the cathode into an annulus between the anode and cathode compartments and forms a product ring.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM
- OSTI ID:
- 6425774
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-851011-; TRN: 87-028373
- Journal Information:
- Sep. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 22:2/3; Conference: 4. symposium on separation science and technology for energy applications, Knoxville, TN, USA, 20 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
ANODES
PERFORMANCE
PLUTONIUM
ELECTROREFINING
PURIFICATION
CADMIUM
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LIQUIDS
PYROCHEMICAL REPROCESSING
SOLVENTS
ACTINIDES
DATA
ELECTRODES
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
INFORMATION
LYSIS
METALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PROCESSING
REFINING
REPROCESSING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSURANIUM ELEMENTS
400105* - Separation Procedures
050800 - Nuclear Fuels- Spent Fuels Reprocessing