TY - JOUR
T1 - On the formation of uranium(V) species in alkali chloride melts
AU - Volkovich, Vladimir A.
AU - Aleksandrov, Denis E.
AU - Griffiths, Trevor R.
AU - Vasin, Boris D.
AU - Khabibullin, Timur K.
AU - Maltsev, Dmitri S.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Uranyl(V) species are normally unstable in solutions but are here shown to be stable in high-temperature chloride melts. Reactions leading to the formation of UO2Cl4 3- ions were studied, including thermal decomposition and chemical reduction of uranyl(VI) chlorospecies in various alkali chloride melts (LiCl, 3LiCl-2KCl, NaCl-KCl, and NaCl-2CsCl) at 550-850 °C. Decomposition of UO2Cl4 2- species under reduced pressure, with inert gas bubbling through the melt or using zirconium getter in the atmosphere results in the formation of UO 2Cl4 3- and UO2. Elemental tellurium, palladium, silver, molybdenum, niobium, zirconium, and hydrogen, as well as niobium and zirconium ions were tested as the reducing agents. The outcome of the reaction depends on the reductant used and its electrochemical properties: uranyl(VI) species can be reduced to uranyl(V) and uranium(IV) ions, and to uranium dioxide.
AB - Uranyl(V) species are normally unstable in solutions but are here shown to be stable in high-temperature chloride melts. Reactions leading to the formation of UO2Cl4 3- ions were studied, including thermal decomposition and chemical reduction of uranyl(VI) chlorospecies in various alkali chloride melts (LiCl, 3LiCl-2KCl, NaCl-KCl, and NaCl-2CsCl) at 550-850 °C. Decomposition of UO2Cl4 2- species under reduced pressure, with inert gas bubbling through the melt or using zirconium getter in the atmosphere results in the formation of UO 2Cl4 3- and UO2. Elemental tellurium, palladium, silver, molybdenum, niobium, zirconium, and hydrogen, as well as niobium and zirconium ions were tested as the reducing agents. The outcome of the reaction depends on the reductant used and its electrochemical properties: uranyl(VI) species can be reduced to uranyl(V) and uranium(IV) ions, and to uranium dioxide.
KW - Molten salts
KW - Reduction
KW - Spectroscopy
KW - Uranium
KW - Uranyl
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77956145060&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1351/PAC-CON-09-09-30
DO - 10.1351/PAC-CON-09-09-30
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:77956145060
SN - 0033-4545
VL - 82
SP - 1701
EP - 1717
JO - Pure and Applied Chemistry
JF - Pure and Applied Chemistry
IS - 8
ER -