Apparatus for electrolytic oxidation or reduction, concentration, and separation of elements in solution

Abstract

Abstract Apparatus for performing a liquid-liquid extraction and electrolysis comprising a closed hollow container equipped with means for countercurrently contacting streams of liquid, means for creating turbulence in the liquid mixture, means for passing an electrical charge through the liquid mixture, and means for retarding the passage of liquid through the container. In one embodiment, the means for creating turbulence in the liquid mixture comprises a rotatable shaft with agitator blades mounted thereon and, in another embodiment, comprises a pulse wave generator. The apparatus is capable of carrying out a wide variety of liquid-liquid extractions and electrolysis reactions, but is particularly applicable to processes for changing the valence state of a metal of variable valence state to effect its separation from other metals and for concentrating metals of variable valence state in solution. In the process of the invention simultaneous valence change of a metal of variable valence state and concentration of that metal in aqueous solution is accomplished by passing a continuous stream of an aqueous solution through a column, passing a continuous stream of an organic solution of at least one metal of variable valence state which is preferentially soluble in the aqueous solution in its changed valence state countercurrently through the column, while maintaining the flow ratio of organic solution to aqueous solution greater than 1:1, forming a dispersion containing a continuous aqueous phase by creating turbulence in a zone where both the aqueous solution and the organic solution are present, allowing the dispersion to contact one electrode of an electrolytic cell which has its electrodes separated by a porous membrane, passing an electric current through the dispersion, and separating the immiscible organic and aqueous phases. This process is particularly useful to reduce hexavalent uranium to tetravalent uranium, to reduce tetravalent plutonium to trivalent plutonium, to concentrate these metals in solution in their changed valence states, and to separate plutonium from uranium.

Inventors

• 👤 J Gray
• 👤 A Schneider
• 👤 A Cormak
• 👤 A Ayers

Bibliographic Details