Preparation of uranium(III) in a molten chloride salt: a redox mechanistic study

The most advanced methodology for the pyroprocessing of spent nuclear fuel is the electrorefining of uranium metal in LiCl-KCl eutectic, in which uranium is solubilized as U(III). The production of U(III) in LiCl-KCl eutectic by the chlorination of uranium metal using BiCl3 has been performed for research purposes. In this work, this reaction was studied in-situ by visual observation, electronic absorption spectroscopy and electrochemistry at 450 °C. The most likely mechanism has been determined to involve the initial direct oxidation of uranium metal by Bi(III) to U(IV). The dissolved U(IV) then reacts with unreacted uranium metal to form U(III).

ELECTRODE POTENTIALS OF THE URANIUM CHLORIDES IN FUSED ALKALI CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS

Using a silver – silver chloride reference electrode, the electrode potentials of the system U, UCl3(KCl, NaCl) and the redox potentials of the system Pt, UCl3, UCl4(KCl, NaCl) were measured at various concentrations of the uranium chlorides and at temperatures between 650 and 850 °C.From the results, the electrode potential of the system U, UCl4(KCl, NaCl) was calculated. In addition, the activity coefficients and partial molal properties of dilute solutions of UCl3 and UCl4 in the equimolar mixture of potassium and sodium chlorides were calculated.