Electrolytic systems and methods for making metal halides and refining metals
Abstract
Disclosed are electrochemical cells and methods for producing a halide of a non-alkali metal and for electrorefining the halide. The systems typically involve an electrochemical cell having a cathode structure configured for dissolving a hydrogen halide that forms the halide into a molten salt of the halogen and an alkali metal. Typically a direct current voltage is applied across the cathode and an anode that is fabricated with the non-alkali metal such that the halide of the non-alkali metal is formed adjacent the anode. Electrorefining cells and methods involve applying a direct current voltage across the anode where the halide of the non-alkali metal is formed and the cathode where the non-alkali metal is electro-deposited. In a representative embodiment the halogen is chlorine, the alkali metal is lithium and the non-alkali metal is uranium.
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1182592
- Patent Number(s):
- 9039885
- Application Number:
- 13/626,222
- Assignee:
- Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC (Reston, VA)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C25 - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES C25C - PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS
C - CHEMISTRY C25 - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES C25B - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-00OR22800
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; 30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
Citation Formats
Holland, Justin M., and Cecala, David M. Electrolytic systems and methods for making metal halides and refining metals. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web.
Holland, Justin M., & Cecala, David M. Electrolytic systems and methods for making metal halides and refining metals. United States.
Holland, Justin M., and Cecala, David M. Tue .
"Electrolytic systems and methods for making metal halides and refining metals". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1182592.
@article{osti_1182592,
title = {Electrolytic systems and methods for making metal halides and refining metals},
author = {Holland, Justin M. and Cecala, David M.},
abstractNote = {Disclosed are electrochemical cells and methods for producing a halide of a non-alkali metal and for electrorefining the halide. The systems typically involve an electrochemical cell having a cathode structure configured for dissolving a hydrogen halide that forms the halide into a molten salt of the halogen and an alkali metal. Typically a direct current voltage is applied across the cathode and an anode that is fabricated with the non-alkali metal such that the halide of the non-alkali metal is formed adjacent the anode. Electrorefining cells and methods involve applying a direct current voltage across the anode where the halide of the non-alkali metal is formed and the cathode where the non-alkali metal is electro-deposited. In a representative embodiment the halogen is chlorine, the alkali metal is lithium and the non-alkali metal is uranium.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {2015},
month = {5}
}
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