Dual-Action Strategy: Unlocking Efficient Lanthanide Remove via Cathodic Deposition and High-Temperature Adsorption...

Area of Science:

• Nuclear Chemistry
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Lanthanide elements impede actinide transmutation in spent nuclear fuel reprocessing.
• Conventional molten salt electrolysis for lanthanide extraction faces efficiency and cost limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an efficient and cost-effective method for lanthanide removal from radioactive molten salts.
• To address the declining efficiency and high costs of traditional lanthanide extraction techniques.

Main Methods:

• Electrochemical analysis (CV, SWV, OCP) on tin electrodes.
• Electrolytic extraction using liquid tin as a cathode.
• High-temperature adsorption using molecular sieves for terbium and multicomponent lanthanide removal.

Main Results:

• Electrolytic extraction achieved high terbium recovery (up to 97.32%).
• Molecular sieves demonstrated effective terbium removal (>96.47%) and high rates for multicomponent lanthanides (92.41–97.64%).
• Synergistic approach yielded a total terbium removal rate of 99.91%, enabling molten salt recovery and waste minimization.

Conclusions:

• The combined cathode deposition and high-temperature adsorption method offers an economically viable and eco-friendly alternative for lanthanide separation.
• This strategy overcomes the limitations of traditional methods, enhancing efficiency and reducing costs in spent nuclear fuel processing.