Chemistry of inorganic compounds – Radioactive – Transuranium compound
Patent
1992-10-28
1994-10-18
Walsh, Donald P.
Chemistry of inorganic compounds
Radioactive
Transuranium compound
423257, 75397, 75399, 204 15, C01G 5600, C01G 4308
Patent
active
053566050
ABSTRACT:
A process for converting PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 present in an electrorefiner to the chlorides, by contacting the PuO.sub.2 and UO.sub.2 with Li metal in the presence of an alkali metal chloride salt substantially free of rare earth and actinide chlorides for a time and at a temperature sufficient to convert the UO.sub.2 and PuO.sub.2 to metals while converting Li metal to Li.sub.2 O. Li.sub.2 O is removed either by reducing with rare earth metals or by providing an oxygen electrode for transporting O.sub.2 out of the electrorefiner and a cathode, and thereafter applying an emf to the electrorefiner electrodes sufficient to cause the Li.sub.2 O to disassociate to O.sub.2 and Li metal but insufficient to decompose the alkali metal chloride salt. The U and Pu and excess lithium are then converted to chlorides by reaction with CdCl.sub.2.
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patent: 5211742 (1993-05-01), Amamoto
Miller William E.
Tomczuk Zygmunt
Glenn Hugh W.
Harney Timothy L.
Mai Ngoclan T.
Moser William R.
The United States of America as represented by the United States
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