Patent ID: 7799185

Claim:
A device for the improved electrorefining of actinides and transuranic elements from a molten salt electrolyte containing at least one element from the actinide series, the device comprising: an external container of specified cross-sectional area and volume, said external container of holding a quantity of said molten salt electrolyte containing at least one element from the actinide series; a first porous container of smaller cross-sectional area than said external container where said first porous container is partially submerged in said molten salt electrolyte that is held within said external container; a second porous container of smaller cross-sectional area than said first porous container where said second porous container is nested in said first porous container, said second porous container holding a quantity of said molten salt electrolyte containing at least one element from the actinide series; a cathode which is positioned interior to said second porous container where said cathode is submerged in said molten salt electrolyte that is held within said second porous container and where said cathode has an electrical contact attached at a given position on said cathode; a series of one or more anodes positioned exterior to said first porous container and interior to said external container where said anode/anodes are submerged in said molten salt electrolyte that is held within said external container and have electrical contacts positioned at selected sites on said anode/anodes.