Abstract
Use of molten fluoride salt towards electrolytic reduction of actinides and lanthanides by molten salt electrolysis is of interest for problems related to metallic nuclear fuels. Electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide for producing uranium metal has also assumed importance because of the introduction of AVLIS in the nuclear fuel cycle. Feasibility of electrolytic reduction of uranium oxide in molten fluoride melts has been demonstrated in laboratory scale electrolytic cells. Experiments were performed to study the effect of variation of size of the cell, anode and cathode configurations, liquid cathode materials, anode materials and different electrolytes. Reproducible feasibility results with different forms of uranium oxide and liquid cathodes have been demonstrated.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
L.W. Niedarch, B.E. Dearing, The preparation of uranium metal by the electrolytic reduction of its oxides. J. Electrochem. Soc. 105(6), 353–358 (1958)
L.W. Niedarch, New approach to electrolytic uranium. Nucleonics 16(1), 64–65 (1958)
L.W. Niedarch, A.C. Glamm, Uranium purification by electrorefining. J. Electrochem. Soc. 103(9), 521–528 (1958)
L.W. Niedarch, B.E. Dearing, Electrowinning of uranium from its oxides. Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, Rep No. KAPL-1761 (1957)
L.W. Niedarch, A.C. Schafer, Electrowinning of uranium from its oxides II A preliminary engineering evaluation. Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, Rep No KAPL-1668 (1957)
T.A. Henrie, Electrowinning rare-earth and uranium metals from their oxides. J. Metals 16, 978–981 (1964)
R.D. Piper, R.F. Leifield, Electro reduction of uranium oxides to massive uranium metal. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Rep No. MCW-1447 (1960)
R.D. Piper, R.F. Leifield, Electrolytic reduction of uranium metal from uranium oxides. I & EC Process Design Dev. 1(3), 208–212 (1962)
R.D. Piper, E.C Gay, Process development quarterly progress report. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Rep No. MCW-1479 (1962)
R.D. Piper, Process development quarterly progress report. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Rep No. MCW-1480 (1963)
R.D. Piper, J.D. Vie, J.N. Reyland, R.J. Kornfeld, D.E. Treadway, Methods for tapping molten uranium from an electrolytic cell. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Rep No. MCW-1481 (1963)
R.D. Piper, Laboratory report of the uranium Electroreduction process. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Rep No. MCW-1500 (1966)
J.W. Stevenson, Electrolytic uranium project: Cell operation, terminal progress report. Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, Rep No. MCW-1514 (1966)
P.A. Haas, P.W. Adcock, A.C. Coroneos, D.E. Hendrix, Small cell experiments for electrolytic reduction of uranium oxides to uranium metal using fluoride salts. Metall. Mat. Trans. B. 25, 505–518 (1994)
Takeshi Shimda, Nobuo Tedzuka, Yuzo Shimizu, Masanobu Miyake, Electrochemical reduction of uranium oxide in molten fluoride mixture. J. Alloy. Compd. 204, 1–4 (1994)
Takeshi Shimda, Nobuo Tedzuka, Yuzo Shimizu, Masanobu Miyake, Electrode reactions of Uranium during electrolysis of its oxide in a molten fluoride bath. J. Alloy. Compd. 206, 249–253 (1994)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this paper
Cite this paper
Alangi, N., Mukherjee, J., Anupama, P. (2019). Electrolytic Reduction of Uranium Oxide in Molten Fluoride Baths in Small Electrolytic Cells. In: Nayak, A., Sehgal, B. (eds) Thorium—Energy for the Future. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2658-5_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-2658-5_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-2657-8
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-2658-5
eBook Packages: EnergyEnergy (R0)