Thorium Molten Salts: Theory and Practice

Abstract

Molten salt reactors will involve multicomponent molten salt mixtures operating at high temperatures and the in-line chemical processing of the salt will be a crucial part of the operating conditions (Delpech et al., J Fluorine Chem 130:11–17, 2009, [1]). Furthermore, the reactors will operate under conditions of very fast pumping and extreme heat transfer. Because the rates of corrosion increase rapidly with increasing temperature, an important element in a successful design will be to work at as low a temperature as possible so as to allow a reasonable lifetime for the containment materials, pumps, and chemical processing elements. Finding the ideal range of salt compositions to minimise the corrosion problem, whilst maintaining a critical concentration of the fissile material in the core and avoiding precipitation of reaction products in the heat exchangers etc. is a very steep requirement.