Plutonium recovery from spent reactor fuel by uranium displacement

Patent · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:868189

Ackerman, John P ^[1]

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1. Downers Grove, IL

A process for separating uranium values and transuranic values from fission products containing rare earth values when the values are contained together in a molten chloride salt electrolyte. A molten chloride salt electrolyte with a first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is contacted with both a solid cathode and an anode having values of uranium and fission products including plutonium. A voltage is applied across the anode and cathode electrolytically to transfer uranium and plutonium from the anode to the electrolyte while uranium values in the electrolyte electrolytically deposit as uranium metal on the solid cathode in an amount equal to the uranium and plutonium transferred from the anode causing the electrolyte to have a second ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride. Then the solid cathode with the uranium metal deposited thereon is removed and molten cadmium having uranium dissolved therein is brought into contact with the electrolyte resulting in chemical transfer of plutonium values from the electrolyte to the molten cadmium and transfer of uranium values from the molten cadmium to the electrolyte until the first ratio of plutonium chloride to uranium chloride is reestablished.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 5096545
• OSTI ID: 868189
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/205/75/423/
amount
amount equal
anode
applied
brought
cadmium
cathode
causing
chemical
chloride
chloride salt
contact
contacted
contained
containing
containing rare
deposit
deposited
deposited thereon
displacement
dissolved
dissolved therein
earth
earth values
electrolyte
electrolytically
equal
fission
fission product
fission products
fuel
including
metal
metal deposit
metal deposited
molten
molten chloride
plutonium
plutonium values
process
products
products containing
rare
rare earth
ratio
reactor
reactor fuel
recovery
reestablished
removed
resulting
salt
salt electrolyte
separating
solid
solid cathode
spent
spent reactor
therein
thereon
transfer
transferred
transuranic
transuranic values
uranium
uranium chloride
uranium metal
uranium values
values
voltage