Spent nuclear fuel is added to an electro-reduction cell, wherein the electro-reduction cell includes a halide salt electrolyte, and anode, and a cathode including an alloy of uranium and a first metal forming a low melting point alloy with uranium, the first metal being one or more of: iron; chromium; nickel; manganese; and cobalt. The spent nuclear fuel is electrochemically reduced at a potential sufficient to reduce plutonium and lanthanides in the spent nuclear fuel, to form a molten alloy of the first metal, uranium and higher actinides present in the spent nuclear fuel. The alloy is extracted from the electro-reduction cell while uranium oxide is present in the electro-reduction cell. The spent nuclear fuel includes uranium oxide and at least 1 mol of lanthanides per tonne of uranium in the spent nuclear fuel, and the electro-reduction cell is operated at a temperature above the melting point of the alloy.

In one embodiment, the disclosed subject matter relates to an electrolytic cell that has: a cell reservoir; a cathode support retained on a bottom of the cell reservoir, wherein the cathode support contacts at least one of: a metal pad and a molten electrolyte bath within the cell reservoir, wherein the cathode support includes: a body having a support bottom, which is configured to be in communication with the bottom of the electrolysis cell; and a support top, opposite the support bottom, having a cathode attachment area configured to retain a at least one cathode plate therein.

Methods and systems for producing lithium metal through room temperature electrodeposition.

The invention relates to a process and devices for reducing impurities in molten salts, a molten salt being purified in an electrochemical process by applying a voltage between two electrodes. According to the invention, the voltage is varied so that in different phases different electrodes act as cathode or anode.

The present invention concerns a copper electrowinning process suitable for the production of enhanced-quality cathodes from highly contaminated electrolytes. The process is performed in electrowinning cells including a plurality of anodes and cathodes, equipped with gas sparging elements at their bottom. It comprises the step of sparging gas across the cathodes, and is characterized in that the solution contains more than 100 mg/L of arsenic. The invention provides an alternative solution to the problem of cathode quality when dealing with highly contaminated electrolytes, in particular when containing high concentrations of arsenic.

The present invention concerns a copper electrowinning process suitable for the production of enhanced-quality cathodes from highly contaminated electrolytes. The process is performed in electrowinning cells including a plurality of anodes and cathodes, equipped with gas sparging elements at their bottom. It comprises the step of sparging gas across the cathodes, and is characterized in that the solution contains more than 100 mg/L of arsenic. The invention provides an alternative solution to the problem of cathode quality when dealing with highly contaminated electrolytes, in particular when containing high concentrations of arsenic.

What is provided is a metal ion recovery device including a raw solution tank that is configured to store a metal ion containing raw solution including metal ions, a recovery liquid tank that is configured to store a metal ion recovery liquid including metal ions recovered from the metal ion containing raw solution, a cylindrical metal ion selective permeable membrane that partitions off the raw solution tank and the recovery liquid tank and selectively transmits the metal ions, an anode that is electrically connected to a surface of the selective permeable membrane on a side close to the raw solution tank, and a cathode that is electrically connected to a surface of the selective permeable membrane on a side close to the recovery liquid tank.

What is provided is a metal ion recovery device including a raw solution tank that is configured to store a metal ion containing raw solution including metal ions, a recovery liquid tank that is configured to store a metal ion recovery liquid including metal ions recovered from the metal ion containing raw solution, a cylindrical metal ion selective permeable membrane that partitions off the raw solution tank and the recovery liquid tank and selectively transmits the metal ions, an anode that is electrically connected to a surface of the selective permeable membrane on a side close to the raw solution tank, and a cathode that is electrically connected to a surface of the selective permeable membrane on a side close to the recovery liquid tank.

An electrolyte flow regulator device and system that eliminates electrode edge strips, preferably cathodes edge strips, by obstructing the passage of the rich electrolyte to be electrodeposited and by the electrical isolation caused by the side walls of the device in the area where the edge strip was originally arranged, being able to obtain edges of an electrode without electrodeposition.

An electrolyte flow regulator device and system that eliminates electrode edge strips, preferably cathodes edge strips, by obstructing the passage of the rich electrolyte to be electrodeposited and by the electrical isolation caused by the side walls of the device in the area where the edge strip was originally arranged, being able to obtain edges of an electrode without electrodeposition.