Reduction behavior of UO22+ in molten LiCl-RbCl and LiCl-KCl eutectics by using tungsten

The reduction of uranium from UO22+ to UO2+ or U4+ in molten LiCl-RbCl and LiCl-KCl eutectics was examined by using tungsten and chlorine gas. Spectrophotometric technique was adopted to determine the concentration of uranium species. When tungsten was immersed into the LiCl-RbCl eutectic melt at 400 °C without supplying chlorine gas, 36% of the total weight of the hexavalent of UO22+ was reduced to the pentavalent of UO2+. Under purging chlorine gas into the melt, 96% of UO22+ was reduced to the tetravalent of U4+. Tungsten oxy-chloride of WOCl4 was produced via the reductions of UO22+, which was volatized from the melt and adsorbed on the upper part of experimental cell. On the other hand, 84% of UO22+ in the LiCl-KCl eutectic melt at 500 °C was reduced to U4+ by using tungsten and chlorine gas.