Stability of Tungsten Crucible against Uranium, Rare Earth, Cadmium, and Chlorides for Cathode Process in Pyroprocessing

Junhyuk Jang,Tack-Jin Kim,Gha-Young Kim,Seungyoub Han,Sung-Jai Lee,Chang Hwa Lee

doi:10.1155/2019/4121285

Junhyuk Jang, Tack-Jin Kim + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/4121285

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Abstract

The stability of W against U, rare-earth (RE) elements, Cd, and various chlorides was evaluated by melting and distillation testing. Three runs were performed with a W crucible to examine its reactivity: (i) RE melting by induction heating, (ii) salt distillation test of U-dendrite and various chlorides, and (iii) Cd distillation test from U–Cd alloy. The W crucible remained stable after the RE melting test using induction melting, exhibiting its applicability for induction heating systems. The salt distillation test with the W crucible at 1050°C exhibited the stability of W against U and various chlorides, showing no interaction. The Cd distillation test with the W crucible at 500°C showed that the crucible was very stable against Cd, maintaining a shiny surface. These results reveal that the W crucible is stable under operation conditions for both salt and Cd distillation, suggesting the high potential utility of W as a crucible material for application in cathode processes in pyroprocessing.

Highlights

Electrorefining is one of the most important pyroprocessing techniques for recovering uranium and transuranic (TRU) elements from spent fuel [1, 2]
We evaluated the stability of W as a crucible against U, rare-earth elements (REs) metals, Cd, and various chloride salts, which are possible reagents in cathode processes
The following results were obtained: (i) The W crucible remained stable after the melting of RE metals using an induction melting furnace, exhibiting the applicability of the crucible for the induction heating system

Summary

Introduction

Electrorefining is one of the most important pyroprocessing techniques for recovering uranium and transuranic (TRU) elements from spent fuel [1, 2]. In this process, the spent fuel is dissolved in a molten LiCl–KCl eutectic chloride salt via electrolysis and U is selectively deposited onto the surface of a cathode electrode [3,4,5,6]. Graphite reacts with both U and TRU [11, 12]; ceramic crucibles or liners are adopted for the cathode process

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