title: A novel molten-salt electrochemical cell for investigating the reduction of uranium dioxide to uranium metal by lithium using in situ synchrotron radiation.
abstract: A novel electrochemical cell has been designed and built to allow for in situ energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction measurements to be made during reduction of UO2to U metal in LiCl-KCl at 500°C. The electrochemical cell contains a recessed well at the bottom of the cell into which the working electrode sits, reducing the beam path for the X-rays through the molten-salt and maximizing the signal-to-noise ratio from the sample. Lithium metal was electrodeposited onto the UO2working electrode by exposing the working electrode to more negative potentials than the Li deposition potential of the LiCl-KCl eutectic electrolyte. The Li metal acts as a reducing agent for the chemical reduction of UO2to U, which appears to proceed to completion. All phases were fitted using Le Bail refinement. The cell is expected to be widely applicable to many studies involving molten-salt systems.
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Leon D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Rema
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abdulaziz
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Rhodri
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jervis
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Vidal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bharath
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Atwood
authors.affiliation: Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reinhard
authors.affiliation: Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, Oxfordshire OX11 0DE, UK.
authors.forename: Leigh D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Connor
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Inman
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Daniel J L
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Brett
authors.affiliation: Electrochemical Innovation Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, UCL, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Shearing
keywords: cell design; energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction; molten-salt reduction; spent fuel reprocessing