Uranium and neodymium partitioning in alkali chloride melts using low-melting gallium-based alloys
Melchakov Stanislav Yu.,
Maltsev Dmitry S.,
Volkovich Vladimir A.,
Yamshchikov Leonid F.,
Lisienko Dmitry G.,
Osipenko Aleksandr G.,
Rusakov Mikhail A.
Affiliations
Melchakov Stanislav Yu.
Department of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia, Tel.: +7 343 375 4741, +7 912 689 3893, Fax: +7 343 375 4154
Maltsev Dmitry S.
Department of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia, Tel.: +7 343 375 4741, +7 912 689 3893, Fax: +7 343 375 4154
Volkovich Vladimir A.
Department of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia, Tel.: +7 343 375 4741, +7 912 689 3893, Fax: +7 343 375 4154
Yamshchikov Leonid F.
Department of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia, Tel.: +7 343 375 4741, +7 912 689 3893, Fax: +7 343 375 4154
Lisienko Dmitry G.
Department of Physical and Chemical Methods of Analysis, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia
Osipenko Aleksandr G.
JSC “Research Institute of Atomic Reactors”, 10 Dimitrova Str., Dimitrovgrad, Ul’yanovsk Region, 435510, Russia
Rusakov Mikhail A.
Department of Rare Metals and Nanomaterials, Institute of Physics and Technology, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira Str., Ekaterinburg, 620002, Russia, Tel.: +7 343 375 4741, +7 912 689 3893, Fax: +7 343 375 4154
Partitioning of uranium and neodymium was studied in a ‘molten chloride salt - liquid Ga-X (X = In or Sn) alloy’ system. Chloride melts were based on the low-melting ternary LiCl-KCl-CsCl eutectic. Nd/U separation factors were calculated from the thermodynamic data as well as determined experimentally. Separation of uranium and neodymium was studied using reductive extraction with neodymium acting as a reducing agent. Efficient partitioning of lanthanides (Nd) and actinides (U), simulating fission products and fissile materials in irradiated nuclear fuels, was achieved in a single stage process. The experimentally observed Nd/U separation factor valued up to 106, depending on the conditions.
