Engineering process for halogen salts, using two identical electrodes

A process for purifying salt melts, comprising the following steps:

• i) providing a salt melt, wherein said salt melt contains at least one oxygen-based and/or at least one hydrogen-based contaminant;
• ii) contacting the salt melt electrically and physically with at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode, wherein said electrodes are not in mutual contact within the salt melt;
• iii) variably applying a voltage between said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode, so that an electric current flows between the electrodes, wherein said oxygen- and/or hydrogen-based contaminant is at least partially removed by an electrochemical reaction on at least one of the electrodes;
• characterized in that the voltage is varied in such a way that said at least one first electrode acts as the cathode and said at least one second electrode acts as the anode during at least one first phase, and said at least one first electrode acts as the anode and said at least one second electrode acts as the cathode during at least one second phase.