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PRODUCTION OF HIGH PURITY RARE-EARTHS AND URANIUM BY MOLTEN CHLORIDE BATH

Research Project

Project/Area Number 09555223
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section展開研究
Research Field Metal making engineering
Research InstitutionTohoku University

Principal Investigator

YAMAMURA Tsutomu  GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, PROFESSOR, 大学院・工学研究科, 教授 (80005363)

Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) TANAKA Hirosi  CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ELECTRIC POWER, GROUP LEADER (RESEARCHERS), 原子物理部, グループリーダー(研究職)
MAEKAWA Hideki  GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, 大学院・工学研究科, 助手 (60238847)
SATO Yuzuru  GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, TOHOKU UNIVERSITY, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR, 大学院・工学研究科, 助教授 (80108464)
SAKAMURA Yoshiharu  CENTRAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ELECTRIC POWER, CHIEF RESEARCHER, 原子物理部, 担当研究員
Project Period (FY) 1997 – 1999
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 1999)
Budget Amount *help
¥13,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,300,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥3,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000)
Fiscal Year 1998: ¥2,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000)
Fiscal Year 1997: ¥6,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,800,000)
KeywordsDYSPROSIUM / Molten salts electrolysis / Electrowinning / Refining / Liquid electrode / Uranium / Rare-earths / Current efficiency / プラセオジム / レア・アース / 電解析出機構 / ランタン / 高純度 / 電極反応 / レア・ア-ス / サイクリックボルタンメトリー
Research Abstract

Present study aimed to develop a production process of high purity metallic rareearths and uranium by the use of molten chloride baths. Molten LiCl-KCl bath was chosen as the electrolytes because they have lower melting temperature and weaker corrosiveness to the container materials of the facilities in comparison with molten fluorides. Electroluses of lanthanum chloride, neodymium chloride, dysprosium chloride and samarium chloride were intensively studied as the representative of uranium and rare-earths, because it is known for its complexity of the mechanism of electrolysis, which is typical of uranium and lanthanides.
In this study, NdClィイD23ィエD2 and DyClィイD23ィエD2 were reduced directly to metallic neodymium on gold and platinum flag type cathodes in the molten eutectic LiCl-KCl bath. On the other hand on the tungusten electrode NdClィイD23ィエD2 and DyClィイD23ィエD2 were reduced to NdClィイD22ィエD2 firstly, then, the reduction of MィイD13+ィエD1 to MィイD12+ィエD1 occurred. Based on the results obtained by the electrochemical study, the conditions of electrowinning were optimized. Then, electrowinning experiment were done in DyClィイD23ィエD2-LiCl-KCl and NdClィイD23ィエD2 baths using platinum plate like cathode at the temperatures of 450 to 650℃. Contrary to the expectation, the deposits on the cathode was not metallic neodymium but only oxychloride of neodymium. To understand the mechanism of oxychloride deposition, the dissolution of neodymium into the LiCl-KCl bath was studied.
To avoid the neodymium deposits on the cathode during the electrolysis because of disproportionation reaction, the activity of the neodymium was lowered by the use of liquid alloy cathode. Using Cd-Mg alloy as cathode, the neodymium was electrowon at the as high as 95% current efficiency from the NdClィイD23ィエD2-LiCl-KCl bath. Neodymium was separated from Cd-Mg by distillation.

Report

(4 results)
  • 1999 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report Summary
  • 1998 Annual Research Report
  • 1997 Annual Research Report
  • Research Products

    (19 results)

All Other

All Publications (19 results)

  • [Publications] T.Yamamura: "Electrowinning of Nd in Molten LiCl-KCl Bath"Molten Salt Forum, 5-. 6,1. 355-358 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] 佐藤譲: "Li2CO3をリチウム原料とするAl-Li合金の高効率電界製造"軽金属. 48,3. 138-142 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Yuzuru SATO: "Surface Tensions of Basic NaCl-AlCl3 and LiCl-AlCl3 Bainary Mlets"Electrochemistry. 67・6. 563-567 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] M.Mohamedi: "Examination of niobium electrochemistry from the reduction of Nb3Cl8 in molten LiCl-KCl eutectic"Electrochimica Acta. 44・10. 252-256 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] T.Yamamura: "Measurements of Impurity Diffusion Coefficients in Ionic Melts with High Accuracy"Journal of Japan Society of Microgravity Application. 16・2. 104-110 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] Y.SATO: "Density, Viscosity, and Surface Tension of Molten Aluminum"Electrochemistry. 67・6. 568-572 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] T.YAMAMURA, I.WU, M.ENDO, N.AKAO, M.MOHAMED AND Y.SATO: "Electrowinning of ND IN MOLTEN LICL-KCL"Molten Salt Forum. 5-6-1. 355-358 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] YUZURU SATO AND TSUTOMU YAMAMURA: "HIGH EFFICIENT ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION OF AL-LI ALLOY BY USING LI2CO3 AS A SOURCE OF LITHIUM"LIGHT METALS. 48-3. 138-142 (1998)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] YUZURU SATO, MIKIO FUKASAWA, KENJI ABE AND TSUTOMU YAMAMURA: "SURFACE TENSION OF BASIC NACL-ALCL3 BINARY MELTS"ELECTROCHEMISTRY. 67-6. 563-567 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] M.MOHAMEDI, N.KAWAGUCHI, Y.SATO AND T.YAMAMURA: "EXAMINATION OF NIOBIUM ELECTROCHEMISTRY FROM THE REDUCTION OF NB3CL8 IN MOLTEN LICL-KCL EUTECTIC"Electrochimia Acta. 44-10. 252-256 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] TSUTOMU YAMAMURA, TETSURO MATSUI, MICHIAKI YAMASAKI, HONGMIN ZHU, MAMORU ENDO, YUZURU SATO, SHINICHI YODA, TOSHIHIKO OOIDA AND TADAHIKO MASAKI: "MEASUREMENTS OF IMPURITY DIFFUSION COEFFICIENTS IN IONIC MELTS WITH HIGH ACCURACY UNDER MICROGRAVITY"Journal of Japan Society of Microgravity Application. 16-2. 104-111 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] YUZURU SATO, YUTAKA MATSUZAKI, MINORU UDA, AKIHIRO NAGATANI AND TSUTOMU YAMAMURA: "DENSITY, VISICOSITY, AND SURFACE TENSION OF MOLTEN ALUMINUM CHLORIDES"Electrochemistry. 67-6. 568-572 (1999)

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
    • Related Report
      1999 Final Research Report Summary
  • [Publications] M.Mohamedi: "Examination of niobium electrochemistry from the reduction of Nb3Cl8 in molten LiCl-KCl eutectic"Electrochimica Acta. 44・11. 252-256 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] T.Yamamura: "Measurements of Impurity Diffusion Coefficients in Ionic Melts with High Accuracy"Journal of Japan Society of Microgravity Application. 16・2. 104-110 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Yuzuru SATO: "Surface Tensions of Basic NaCl-AlCl3 and LiCl-AlCl3 Bainary Mlets"Electrochiemistry. 67・6. 563-567 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] Y.SATO: "Density, Viscosity, and Surface Tension of Molten Aluminum"Electrochiemistry. 67・6. 568-572 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1999 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] M.Mohamedi: "Examination of electrochemsistry from the reduction of Nb3Cl8 in molten LiCl-KCleutectic" Electrochimica Acta. 44,1. 1559-1565 (1999)

    • Related Report
      1998 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] T.Yamamura: "Electrowinning of Nd in Moleten LiCl-KCl Bath" Molten Salt Forumm. 5-6. 355-358 (1998)

    • Related Report
      1998 Annual Research Report
  • [Publications] 山村 力: "The mechanism of electrolytic reduction of NαCl_3 in LiCl-KCl eutectic MeH" J. Electrochem. Soc.,. (発表予定).

    • Related Report
      1997 Annual Research Report

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Published: 1997-04-01   Modified: 2016-04-21  

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