Corrosion-mediated production of uranium(III) chloride from metallic uranium in molten LiCl–KCl salt contained within a stainless-steel crucible

Abstract

Uranium (III) chloride (UCl₃) is a crucial component of a potent nuclear recycling technology—pyroprocessing—and next-generation molten salt reactors. It is usually synthesized by reacting metallic uranium with chlorinating agents (e.g., CdCl₂ and PbCl₂) in molten chloride salts. In this study, we report the unexpected formation of UCl₃ from metallic simulated fuel (simfuel) immersed in impure molten LiCl–KCl salt (in the presence of a small amount of residual H₂O) in a stainless-steel (SS) crucible, without a chlorinating agent. We investigated various factors influencing UCl₃ formation, including fuel type (metallic simfuel, pure U, oxide simfuel, or no fuel), crucible material (SS or alumina), salt composition (LiCl–KCl or LiCl), temperature (773 K or 923 K), and contact between fuel and SS crucible. UCl₃ only formed when metallic fuels (simfuel or pure U) were immersed in molten salt in the SS crucible, with higher concentrations at elevated temperatures. Oxide fuels did not produce UCl₃, nor did contact with the crucible affect formation. Our findings suggest that impurities, particularly moisture in the salt, corroded the SS crucible, releasing iron and chromium chlorides that reacted with metallic U to form UCl₃. UCl₃ formation was more pronounced in LiCl–KCl than in LiCl, and thermodynamic calculations helped establish the mechanism.