Events

Liquid metal and molten salt: their chemistry and corrosion

Liquid metal and molten salt have broad applications in high-temperature energy systems such energy thermal storage, concentrated solar energy and advanced nuclear energy. Both liquid lead and molten salt are corrosive to most of the structural materials. However, their corrosion mechanisms are different because of their unique chemistries. For example, most of the oxides of steel components are stable in liquid lead but unstable in molten salt. The seminar will discuss their corrosion mechanisms and the corrosion process, and then will analyze the liquid/solid interfacial interactions including material dissolution, oxidation and liquid penetration which results in material corrosion and degradation. The seminar will also discuss how to mitigate the corrosion by controlling the liquid chemistry through active oxygen control for liquid lead, redox potential control for molten salt and salt purification.