Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System
Closeness of electrochemical properties of uranium and zirconium makes separation of these metals in pyroelectrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels a challenging task. Varying electrode material can change metals’ deposition potentials. The study was aimed at assessing the effect of the cat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Metals |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/4/550 |
| _version_ | 1797539761596923904 |
|---|---|
| author | Vladimir A. Volkovich Dmitry S. Maltsev Mariya N. Soldatova Aleksandr A. Ryzhov Aleksandr B. Ivanov |
| author_facet | Vladimir A. Volkovich Dmitry S. Maltsev Mariya N. Soldatova Aleksandr A. Ryzhov Aleksandr B. Ivanov |
| author_sort | Vladimir A. Volkovich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Closeness of electrochemical properties of uranium and zirconium makes separation of these metals in pyroelectrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels a challenging task. Varying electrode material can change metals’ deposition potentials. The study was aimed at assessing the effect of the cathode material on deposition potentials of zirconium and uranium from 3LiCl–2KCl based melts. Solid (tungsten) and liquid (gallium, zinc, Ga–Zn, Ga–Sn and Ga–In alloy) working electrodes were tested at 532–637 °C. Galvanostatic cathodic polarization was employed and the applied cathodic current varied from 0.0001 to 1 A. Gallium–zinc eutectic alloy demonstrated the largest difference of zirconium and uranium deposition potentials. Zirconium/uranium separation factors were experimentally determined in a “molten salt—liquid metal” system for gallium and Ga–Zn eutectic based alloys. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:50:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8a156315a29543abb8c3280e7f98c718 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2075-4701 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:50:28Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metals |
| spelling | doaj.art-8a156315a29543abb8c3280e7f98c7182023-11-21T13:07:53ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012021-03-0111455010.3390/met11040550Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” SystemVladimir A. Volkovich0Dmitry S. Maltsev1Mariya N. Soldatova2Aleksandr A. Ryzhov3Aleksandr B. Ivanov4Department of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, RussiaDepartment of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, RussiaDepartment of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, RussiaDepartment of Physical and Chemical Methods of Analysis, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, RussiaDepartment of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 620002 Ekaterinburg, RussiaCloseness of electrochemical properties of uranium and zirconium makes separation of these metals in pyroelectrochemical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuels a challenging task. Varying electrode material can change metals’ deposition potentials. The study was aimed at assessing the effect of the cathode material on deposition potentials of zirconium and uranium from 3LiCl–2KCl based melts. Solid (tungsten) and liquid (gallium, zinc, Ga–Zn, Ga–Sn and Ga–In alloy) working electrodes were tested at 532–637 °C. Galvanostatic cathodic polarization was employed and the applied cathodic current varied from 0.0001 to 1 A. Gallium–zinc eutectic alloy demonstrated the largest difference of zirconium and uranium deposition potentials. Zirconium/uranium separation factors were experimentally determined in a “molten salt—liquid metal” system for gallium and Ga–Zn eutectic based alloys.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/4/550uraniumzirconiumlow melting metalsseparationcathodic polarizationelectrochemical deposition |
| spellingShingle | Vladimir A. Volkovich Dmitry S. Maltsev Mariya N. Soldatova Aleksandr A. Ryzhov Aleksandr B. Ivanov Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System Metals uranium zirconium low melting metals separation cathodic polarization electrochemical deposition |
| title | Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System |
| title_full | Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System |
| title_fullStr | Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System |
| title_short | Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System |
| title_sort | application of low melting metals for separation of uranium and zirconium in a fused chloride liquid alloy system |
| topic | uranium zirconium low melting metals separation cathodic polarization electrochemical deposition |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/11/4/550 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vladimiravolkovich applicationoflowmeltingmetalsforseparationofuraniumandzirconiuminafusedchlorideliquidalloysystem AT dmitrysmaltsev applicationoflowmeltingmetalsforseparationofuraniumandzirconiuminafusedchlorideliquidalloysystem AT mariyansoldatova applicationoflowmeltingmetalsforseparationofuraniumandzirconiuminafusedchlorideliquidalloysystem AT aleksandraryzhov applicationoflowmeltingmetalsforseparationofuraniumandzirconiuminafusedchlorideliquidalloysystem AT aleksandrbivanov applicationoflowmeltingmetalsforseparationofuraniumandzirconiuminafusedchlorideliquidalloysystem |