Abstract
The electrolytic reduction rate of porous UO2 pellets in a LiCl salt was investigated for various applied charges. The degree of reduction (α) value was evaluated from the ratios of cross-sectional areas of the reduced and oxide parts. An analysis of the experimental results revealed that the first-order reaction model is the best geometry function to describe the reduction reaction. An electrolytic reduction rate equation was proposed using the first-order model, although it was available in a limited region of (0≤α≤0.56). A power law based reaction rate equation was also suggested for the whole range of α, and the reaction time for a complete reduction, estimated using the power law equation, was confirmed through the experimental results. Changes in the Li-Li2O concentration around the reduced pellets for various applied charges were also measured, which increased up to 23 wt% with increasing α.
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This article is dedicated to Prof. Seong Ihl Woo on the occasion of his retirement from KAIST.
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Jeon, M.K., Choi, EY., Kim, SW. et al. Electrolytic reduction rate of porous UO2 pellets. Korean J. Chem. Eng. 33, 2235–2239 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-016-0077-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-016-0077-7