Application of Low Melting Metals for Separation of Uranium and Zirconium in a “Fused Chloride—Liquid Alloy” System

Closeness of electrochemical properties uranium and zirconium makes separation these metals in pyroelectrochemical reprocessing spent nuclear fuels a challenging task. Varying electrode material can change metals’ deposition potentials. The study was aimed at assessing the effect cathode on potentials from 3LiCl–2KCl based melts. Solid (tungsten) liquid (gallium, zinc, Ga–Zn, Ga–Sn Ga–In alloy) working electrodes were tested 532–637 °C. Galvanostatic cathodic polarization employed applied current varied 0.0001 to 1 A. Gallium–zinc eutectic alloy demonstrated largest difference Zirconium/uranium factors experimentally determined “molten salt—liquid metal” system for gallium Ga–Zn alloys.