Mechanical press system and method of removing salt using the same

Abstract

A method of removing salt from a dendritic mixture includes loading the dendritic mixture into a mechanical press system. The dendritic mixture includes a metallic dendrite and salt dispersed within the metallic dendrite. The dendritic mixture is heated to liquefy the salt without volatilizing one or more metals of the metallic dendrite. The dendritic mixture is also compressed to obtain a fluidic mixture and an ingot of the metallic dendrite. The fluidic mixture may include molten salt and residual metallic dendrite. The fluidic mixture may be filtered to separate the residual metallic dendrite from the molten salt.

1 . A mechanical press system comprising:
 an upper press body including a curved bottom portion and an upper lip portion surrounding the curved bottom portion;   a first heater within the upper press body;   a lower press body aligned below the upper press body, the lower press body including a top portion and a lower lip portion surrounding the top portion, the upper press body and lower press body configured to come together during a compression state and configured to move apart during a decompression state;   a second heater within the lower press body; and   a containment band configured to rest on the lower lip portion of the lower press body and to surround the upper lip portion of the upper press body during the compression state and configured to separate from the upper press body and the lower press body during the decompression state.   
     
     
         2 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , wherein the curved bottom portion of the upper press body has a shape that corresponds to a partial surface of a sphere. 
     
     
         3 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , wherein the upper lip portion is angled so as to point toward the containment band during the compression state. 
     
     
         4 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , wherein the top portion and the lower lip portion of the lower press body form a notch therebetween, the notch configured to receive the containment band during the compression state. 
     
     
         5 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , wherein the containment band includes a handle structure on an exterior surface of the containment band. 
     
     
         6 . The mechanical press system of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 a support arm configured to extend toward the containment band and engage the handle structure during the decompression state.   
     
     
         7 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sieve aligned below a periphery of the lower press body.   
     
     
         8 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a plow configured to move across the top portion of the lower press body during the decompression state.   
     
     
         9 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a receiving structure configured to extend toward the lower press body during the decompression state such that the top portion of the lower press body is aligned with an upper surface of the receiving structure.   
     
     
         10 . The mechanical press system of  claim 1 , wherein the upper press body is configured to be stationary, and the lower press body is configured to move toward the upper press body during the compression state and to move away from the upper press body during the decompression state. 
     
     
         11 . A method of removing salt from a dendritic mixture, comprising:
 loading the dendritic mixture into a mechanical press system, the dendritic mixture including a metallic dendrite and the salt dispersed within the metallic dendrite;   heating the dendritic mixture to liquefy the salt without volatilizing one or more metals of the metallic dendrite; and   compressing the dendritic mixture to obtain a fluidic mixture and an ingot of the metallic dendrite, the fluidic mixture including molten salt and residual metallic dendrite.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the loading the dendritic mixture includes the dendritic mixture being in a form of an electrolytically-reduced cake. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the loading the dendritic mixture includes the metallic dendrite including at least one of plutonium and uranium. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the loading the dendritic mixture includes the salt being lithium chloride. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the heating is performed at a temperature that does not exceed about 650 degrees Celsius. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method of removing salt does not involve a cathode processor. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 filtering the fluidic mixture to separate the residual metallic dendrite from the molten salt.