Effects of neodymium oxide on an electrorefining process of uranium

Electrorefining experiments of uranium were carried out in LiCl–KCl eutectic molten salt containing metallic U and Nd2O3 compacts as a surrogate material of an electrolytically reduced spent PWR fuel at 500 °C to observe the dissolution behavior of Nd2O3. The Nd2O3 compacts were significantly attacked in the electrorefining condition regardless of the current density. It was found that the UCl3, which is an essential chemical for a uranium electrorefining, played a decisive role in the resultant chemical reaction with Nd2O3. This dissolution phenomenon of NdCl3 formed by the chemical reaction between Nd2O3 and UCl3 was confirmed by an in situ UV–vis absorption spectrometry equipped with a homemade high-temperature apparatus and XRD analysis. The effects of uranium oxide particle as a by-product in the electrorefining process were also discussed by using computational fluid dynamics analysis.