New methods of uranium (IV) production using a Pt-loaded gas-diffusion electrode

Abstract

Normal uranium(IV) production is carried out by conventional electrolysis in a commercial plant. Here we propose new methods, the local-cell mode and the fuel-cell mode, for the production of uranous nitrate using a platinum-loaded gas-diffusion electrode. It is shown that uranyl ions are spontaneously reduced to 250–300 g dm−3 U(IV) using these methods and that electrical energy is obtained by the fuel-cell mode.