| abstract |
The invention comprises an electrorefining process for separating a metal from a composition including the said metal, the method comprising forming an electrorefining cell having an anode, a cathode and an electrolyte, wherein the anode comprises the metal and the electrolyte comprises a substance which is liquid at its operating temperature and at this temperature is comprises wholly or largely of ionic species, and applying a sufficient potential difference between the anode and the cathode to cause the metal to transfer from the anode to the cathode and to be deposited thereon, wherein gap between the anode and the cathode is minimised, the electrolyte is circulated at high velocity through the cell, and the available surface area of the cathode is maximised by providing the metal in a form which has a large surface area per unit volume. In preferred embodiments, either the anode is in the form of a basket, and the metal composition is provided in a finely divided form within the said basket or the metal composition is provided in the form of a long, thin rod which itself forms the anode. Preferably, the composition including the metal comprises spent nuclear fuel, and the electrolyte comprises an ionic liquid. |