Inventors:
James L. Willit - Batavia IL, US
John P. Ackerman - Prescott AZ, US
Mark A. Williamson - Naperville IL, US
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy - Washington DC
International Classification:
C25C 3/34
US Classification:
205 47, 2042431, 204244, 204247, 205 43
Abstract:
This is a single stage process for treating spent nuclear fuel from light water reactors. The spent nuclear fuel, uranium oxide, UO, is added to a solution of UCldissolved in molten LiCl. A carbon anode and a metallic cathode is positioned in the molten salt bath. A power source is connected to the electrodes and a voltage greater than or equal to 1. 3 volts is applied to the bath. At the anode, the carbon is oxidized to form carbon dioxide and uranium chloride. At the cathode, uranium is electroplated. The uranium chloride at the cathode reacts with more uranium oxide to continue the reaction. The process may also be used with other transuranic oxides and rare earth metal oxides.