Use of ion conductors in the pyrochemical reduction of oxides

Patent · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:869140

Miller, William E ^[1]; Tomczuk, Zygmunt ^[2]

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1. Naperville, IL
2. Lockport, IL

An electrochemical process and electrochemical cell for reducing a metal oxide are provided. First the oxide is separated as oxygen gas using, for example, a ZrO.sub.2 oxygen ion conductor anode and the metal ions from the reduction salt are reduced and deposited on an ion conductor cathode, for example, sodium ion reduced on a .beta.-alumina sodium ion conductor cathode. The generation of and separation of oxygen gas avoids the problem with chemical back reaction of oxygen with active metals in the cell. The method also is characterized by a sequence of two steps where an inert cathode electrode is inserted into the electrochemical cell in the second step and the metallic component in the ion conductor is then used as the anode to cause electrochemical reduction of the metal ions formed in the first step from the metal oxide where oxygen gas formed at the anode. The use of ion conductors serves to isolate the active components from chemically reacting with certain chemicals in the cell. While applicable to a variety of metal oxides, the invention has special importance for reducing CaO to Ca.degree. used for reducing UO.sub.2 and PuO.sub.2 to U and Pu.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: University of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
• Patent Number(s): US 5282937
• OSTI ID: 869140
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

conductors
pyrochemical
reduction
oxides
electrochemical
process
cell
reducing
metal
oxide
provided
separated
oxygen
gas
example
zro
conductor
anode
salt
reduced
deposited
cathode
sodium
beta
-alumina
generation
separation
avoids
chemical
reaction
active
metals
method
characterized
sequence
steps
inert
electrode
inserted
step
metallic
component
formed
serves
isolate
components
chemically
reacting
chemicals
applicable
variety
special
importance
cao
degree
uo
puo
chemically reacting
chemically react
oxygen gas
active metal
metal oxide
electrochemical cell
metal oxides
cathode electrode
chemical process
-alumina sodium
metallic component
active components
gas formed
chemical reduction
electrochemical process
active component
active metals
conductor cathode
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