Lithium recovery from radioactive molten salt wastes by electrolysis

In order to determine the operating conditions of an electrolyzer to recover lithium metal from molten salt wastes composed of LiCl, Li2O, Cs2O, and SrO, electrolytic reduction experiments have been carried out in a single compartment electrochemical reactor with a mono-polar connection. All the combinative experiments were conducted in an argon atmospheric glove box, and each applied potential-current value was synchronously measured and analyzed in aspects of the preferentially recovering probability of lithium in mixed phases. The effect of the electrode surface area on the current was also observed. Based on our experimental results compared with electrochemical thermodynamic evaluation, it is revealed that Li2O can be preferentially reduced to lithium by controlled LiCl concentration and applied potential. (author)