Electrochemical Ion Separation in Molten Salts

摘要

A purification method that uses ion-selective ceramics to electrochemically filter waste products from a molten salt. The electrochemical method uses ion-conducting ceramics that are selective for the molten salt cations desired in the final purified melt, and selective against any contaminant ions. The method can be integrated into a slightly modified version of the electrochemical framework currently used in pyroprocessing of nuclear wastes.

主权项

1. An electrochemical cell for electrochemical ion separation, comprising:
an ion-selective ceramic membrane having selectivity for at least one molten salt cation and selectivity against transport of at least one contaminant cation, a molten salt electrolyte, a cathode immersed in a purified molten salt electrolyte on the cathode side of the ceramic membrane, an anode immersed in a contaminated molten salt electrolyte comprising the at least one molten salt cation and the at least one contaminant cation on the anode side of the ceramic membrane, and an electrical circuit for applying an electrical bias across the anode and cathode, thereby causing the at least one molten salt cation to transport across the ceramic membrane but substantially excluding the at least one contaminant cation from transporting across the ceramic membrane and thereby concentrating the at least one contaminant ion in the contaminated molten salt electrolyte on the anode side of the ceramic membrane.