Recovery of UO.sub.2 /Pu O.sub.2 in IFR electrorefining process
Abstract
A process for converting PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 present in an electrorefiner to the chlorides, by contacting the PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 with Li metal in the presence of an alkali metal chloride salt substantially free of rare earth and actinide chlorides for a time and at a temperature sufficient to convert the UO.sub.2 and PuO.sub.2 to metals while converting Li metal to Li.sub.2 O. Li.sub.2 O is removed either by reducing with rare earth metals or by providing an oxygen electrode for transporting O.sub.2 out of the electrorefiner and a cathode, and thereafter applying an emf to the electrorefiner electrodes sufficient to cause the Li.sub.2 O to disassociate to O.sub.2 and Li metal but insufficient to decompose the alkali metal chloride salt. The U and Pu and excess lithium are then converted to chlorides by reaction with CdCl.sub.2.
- Inventors:
-
- Lockport, IL
- Naperville, IL
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 869560
- Patent Number(s):
- 5356605
- Assignee:
- United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
- Patent Classifications (CPCs):
-
C - CHEMISTRY C01 - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY C01G - COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METALS NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C01D OR C01F
C - CHEMISTRY C22 - METALLURGY C22B - PRODUCTION AND REFINING OF METALS
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- recovery; uo; ifr; electrorefining; process; converting; puo; electrorefiner; chlorides; contacting; metal; presence; alkali; chloride; salt; substantially; free; rare; earth; actinide; time; temperature; sufficient; convert; metals; removed; reducing; providing; oxygen; electrode; transporting; cathode; thereafter; applying; emf; electrodes; disassociate; insufficient; decompose; excess; lithium; converted; reaction; cdcl; oxygen electrode; metal chloride; substantially free; alkali metal; rare earth; earth metal; temperature sufficient; earth metals; chloride salt; refining process; electrodes sufficient; electrorefining process; excess lithium; /423/75/
Citation Formats
Tomczuk, Zygmunt, and Miller, William E. Recovery of UO.sub.2 /Pu O.sub.2 in IFR electrorefining process. United States: N. p., 1994.
Web.
Tomczuk, Zygmunt, & Miller, William E. Recovery of UO.sub.2 /Pu O.sub.2 in IFR electrorefining process. United States.
Tomczuk, Zygmunt, and Miller, William E. Sat .
"Recovery of UO.sub.2 /Pu O.sub.2 in IFR electrorefining process". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/869560.
@article{osti_869560,
title = {Recovery of UO.sub.2 /Pu O.sub.2 in IFR electrorefining process},
author = {Tomczuk, Zygmunt and Miller, William E},
abstractNote = {A process for converting PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 present in an electrorefiner to the chlorides, by contacting the PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 with Li metal in the presence of an alkali metal chloride salt substantially free of rare earth and actinide chlorides for a time and at a temperature sufficient to convert the UO.sub.2 and PuO.sub.2 to metals while converting Li metal to Li.sub.2 O. Li.sub.2 O is removed either by reducing with rare earth metals or by providing an oxygen electrode for transporting O.sub.2 out of the electrorefiner and a cathode, and thereafter applying an emf to the electrorefiner electrodes sufficient to cause the Li.sub.2 O to disassociate to O.sub.2 and Li metal but insufficient to decompose the alkali metal chloride salt. The U and Pu and excess lithium are then converted to chlorides by reaction with CdCl.sub.2.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994},
month = {Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1994}
}