Separation of adhered salt from uranium deposits generated in electro-refiner

Abstract

It is important to increase a throughput of the salt removal process from uranium deposits which is generated on the solid cathode of electro-refiner in pyroprocess. In this study, it was proposed to increase the throughput of the salt removal process by the separation of the liquid salt prior to the distillation of the LiCl–KCl eutectic salt from the uranium deposits. The feasibility of liquid salt separation was examined by salt separation experiments on a stainless steel sieve. It was found that the amount of salt to be distilled could be reduced by the liquid salt separation prior to the salt distillation. The residual salt remained in the deposits after the liquid salt separation was successfully removed further by the vacuum distillation. It was concluded that the combination of a liquid salt separation and a vacuum distillation is an effective route for the achievement of a high throughput performance in the salt separation process.