Authors: Augustus Merwin Dev Chidambaram
Publish Date: 2014/11/12
Volume: 46, Issue: 1, Pages: 536-544
Abstract
The electrolytic reduction process of UO2 employs a platinum anode and a stainless steel cathode in molten LiClLiO2 maintained at 973 K 700 °C The degradation of platinum under the severely oxidizing conditions encountered during the process is an issue of concern In this study Inconel 600 and 718 stainless steel alloy 316 tungsten nickel molybdenum and titanium were investigated though electrochemical polarization techniques electron microscopy Raman spectroscopy and Xray photoelectron spectroscopy to serve as potential anode materials Of the various materials investigated only tungsten exhibited sufficient stability at the required potential in the molten electrolyte Tungsten anodes were further studied in molten LiClLiO2 electrolyte containing 2 4 and 6 wt pct of Li2O In LiCl2 wt pct Li2O tungsten was found to be sufficiently stable to both oxidation and microstructural changes and the stability is attributed to the formation of a lithiumintercalated tungsten oxide surface film Increase in the concentration of Li2O was found to lead to accelerated corrosion of the anode in conjunction with the formation of a peroxotungstate oxide film
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