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 Laboratory (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 C25B - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS
C - CHEMISTRY C25 - ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES C25C - PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF 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 = {Tue May 26 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Tue May 26 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}
Works referenced in this record:
Electrorefining process and apparatus for recovery of uranium and a mixture of uranium and plutonium from spent fuels
patent, November 1989
- Ackerman, John P.; Miller, William E.
- US Patent Document 4,880,506
Process and apparatus for recovery of fissionable materials from spent reactor fuel by anodic dissolution
patent, April 1991
- Tomczuk, Zygmunt; Miller, William E.; Wolson, Raymond D.
- US Patent Document 5,009,752
Nuclear fuel electrorefiner
patent, February 2004
- Ahluwalia, Rajesh K.; Hua, Thanh Q.
- US Patent Document 6,689,260
Method for making a uranium chloride salt product
patent, October 2004
- Miller, William E.; Tomczuk, Zygmunt
- US Patent Document 6,800,262
Porous membrane electrochemical cell for uranium and transuranic recovery from molten salt electrolyte
patent, September 2007
- Willit, James L.
- US Patent Document 7,267,754
Uranium dioxide electrolysis
patent, December 2009
- Willit, James L.; Ackerman, John P.; Williamson, Mark A.
- US Patent Document 7,638,026
The recovery of chlorine from hydrogen chloride Part 1: new method using a molten salt as the electrolyte
journal, November 1971
- Yoshizawa, S.; Takehara, Z.; Ito, Y.
- Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, Vol. 1, Issue 4
Works referencing / citing this record:
Electrolytic systems and methods for making metal halides and refining metals
patent, May 2015
- Holland, Justin M.; Cecala, David M.
- US Patent Document 9,039,885