Electrolytic reduction behavior of U3O8 in a molten LiCl-Li2O salt

• Published in: Chemical engineering science Vol. 63; no. 13; pp. 3485 - 3492
• Main Authors: PARK, B. H, LEE, I. W, SEO, C.-S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier 01-07-2008
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemical engineering; Exact sciences and technology; Reactors; Chemical reduction; Batchwise; Electrolysis;Materials processing;Molten salt;Powders;Separations;U3O8; Current efficiency; Electrochemical reaction; Density; Powder
• ISSN: 0009-2509; 1873-4405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2008.04.021

An electrolytic reduction of U3O8 in a molten LiCl-Li2O salt was investigated using the electrochemical techniques of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronopotentiommetry (CP). The electrolytic reduction of U3O8 powder exhibited a different behavior when the initial current density was higher than for 10 g U3O8/batch run. Two kinds of reduction mechanisms, an electro-metallothermic reduction (EMR) and a direct electrochemical reduction (DER) were adopted to explain the resultant behavior. Current efficiencies and reduction products were obtained by a series of constant current runs. Current efficiencies, evaluated for a reduction side, were estimated to be more than 75% throughout a series of constant current runs and lithium uranium oxides (lithium uranates) were detected during the U3O8 reduction to metallic uranium.