Americium chemical properties in molten LiCl–KCl eutectic at 743 K

Abstract

The chemical and electrochemical properties of americium chlorides have been studied in the fused LiCl–KCl eutectic at 743 K using a tungsten working electrode and a pO²⁻ indicator electrode. The standard potential of Am (III)/Am (II) and Am (II)/Am redox couples were determined using cyclic voltammetry. Titration of Am (III) chlorocomplex by O²⁻ demonstrated the existence of the soluble americium species AmO⁺ and the precipitation of AmOCl and Am₂O₃. The electrochemical behaviour of AmO⁺ was then studied by cyclic voltammetry. All these data allowed us to draw the potential–pO²⁻ diagram which summarises the properties of americium species in the melt.