Method for controlling metal dissolution using an electrical current

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024363260-A1
Application number	US-202318306375-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 25, 2023
Priority date	Apr 25, 2023
Publication date	Oct 31, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A process for dissolving a metal in an electrolytic acid medium using a catalyst. The process comprises applying a negative electrical current to the metal while the electrolytic acid medium is at a temperature below its boiling point to initiate a dissolution reaction, stopping the application of the electrical current, and allowing heat from the reaction to raise the temperature of the solution without the application of any external heat source.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A process for dissolving a metal in an electrolytic acid medium using a catalyst, the process comprising:
applying a negative electrical current to the metal while the electrolytic acid medium is at a temperature below its boiling point to initiate a dissolution reaction; stopping the application of the electrical current; and allowing heat produced from the reaction to raise the temperature of the solution without the application of any external heat source.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises aluminum and/or an aluminum alloy.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal comprises an aluminum-uranium alloy or uranium aluminide dispersed in a continuous aluminum phase core surrounded by an aluminum cladding.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the electrolytic acid comprises nitric acid.

5 . The process of claim 4 , wherein the initial nitric acid concentration in the dissolution solution is from about 4 molar to about 15 molar.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst comprises mercury.

7 . The process of claim 6 , wherein the mercury concentration in the dissolution solution is from about 0.0005 molar to about 0.02 molar.

8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process comprises electrically connecting the metal to a current source.

9 . The process of claim 8 , wherein the process comprises contacting the electrolytic acid medium with a counter electrode.

10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the counter electrode comprises graphite.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction is initiated at a temperature of about 50° C. or less.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the reaction is initiated at a temperature of about 30° C. or less.

13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the negative current is applied for a time period from about 5 seconds to about 10 minutes before the application of the current is stopped.

14 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the metal is contained in a spent nuclear fuel assembly.

15 . A process for dissolving aluminum comprising immersing the aluminum in a nitric acid solution containing greater than 0.001M mercury and applying an electrical current to the solution.

16 . A process for dissolving aluminum during the recovery of a spent nuclear fuel, the process comprising:
immersing a material containing aluminum and a nuclear fuel in a nitric acid solution containing a mercury catalyst; applying a negative electrical current to the material containing aluminum and a nuclear fuel while the temperature of the solution is below its boiling point; stopping the application of the electrical current; and allowing heat from the reaction to raise the temperature of the solution to its boiling point without the application of any external heat source.

17 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the initial nitric acid concentration in the dissolution solution is from about 4 molar to about 15 molar and the mercury concentration in the dissolution solution is from about 0.0005 molar to about 0.02 molar.

18 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the process comprises electrically connecting the metal to a current source and contacting the electrolytic acid medium with a counter electrode comprising graphite.

19 . The process of claim 16 , wherein the reaction is initiated at a temperature of about 30° C. and the negative current is applied for a time period from about 5 seconds to about 10 minutes before the application of the current is stopped.

20 . A process as defined in claim 16 , wherein the material containing aluminum and a nuclear fuel comprises an aluminum-uranium alloy or uranium aluminide dispersed in a continuous aluminum phase core surrounded by an aluminum cladding.

Assignees

• Battelle Savannah River Alliance Llc

Inventors

• Daniel Jr William E
• Gogolski Jarrod M
• Foley Daniel J
• Fuentes Roderick E

Classifications

• C25F5/00

  Electrolytic stripping of metallic layers or coatings · CPC title

• G21C19/46 Primary

  Aqueous processes {, e.g. by using organic extraction means, including the regeneration of these means} · CPC title

• G21F9/30 Primary

  Processing (separating different isotopes of the same chemical element B01D59/00) · CPC title

• C25F3/04

  of light metals · CPC title

• C22B3/065

  Nitric acids or salts thereof · CPC title