Investigation of a LiCl–KCl–UCl3 system using a combination of X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analyses

Electrorefining is one of the main steps in pyroreprocessing where spent nuclear fuels are recycled. Electrorefining is conducted in a molten salt of a LiCl–KCl eutectic (59:41 mol%) containing actinide chlorides (AnCl3) at 773 K. In order to operate and maintain the electrorefiner, it is necessary to accumulate fundamental data on the LiCl–KCl–AnCl3 salt, such as its melting point. In this study, based on X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analyses, partial phase diagrams of (LiCl–KCl)eut.–UCl3 pseudo-binary and LiCl–KCl–UCl3 systems, in which the UCl3 concentration was up to 20 mol%, were developed.