{"id":47337,"date":"2024-06-13T08:25:50","date_gmt":"2024-06-13T07:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=47337"},"modified":"2025-01-16T14:06:08","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T14:06:08","slug":"corrosion-resistance-in-molten-salt-environments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/corrosion-resistance-in-molten-salt-environments\/47337\/","title":{"rendered":"Corrosion resistance in molten salt environments"},"content":{"rendered":"
Corrosion of materials is a major aspect of many countries\u2019 economic status, regularly reported as over 3% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and between $2-3tr.1,2<\/sup><\/p>\n Many corrosion studies have been done by a myriad of universities and national labs across molten salt reactors (MSRs), pyro-processing systems and concentrated solar plant (CSP) salts.3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10<\/sup><\/p>\n While the variety of molten salts across this spectrum have distinct properties that make them excel in their individual fields, the underlying issue of corrosion and the need for corrosion resistance can be seen throughout them all, particularly in how the mechanism for corrosion resistance is based in the alloy content of the least noble element and preventing its dissolution.3<\/sup><\/p>\n At a molecular level, the ionic nature and high temperature of molten salt systems create a uniquely aggressive and corrosive operating environment. In an attempt to subdue this damage and decrease corrosion losses, high-cost material alloys, chemical\/electrical redox potential control, and various metal treatments are among previously tested solutions.<\/p>\n Pre-treatment to form oxide layers via high-temperature oxidation atmospheres has proven useful in CSP studies, and laser ablation treatments within the automotive industry have shown corrosion resistance improvements.11,12,13<\/sup><\/p>\n By utilising metal treatments like laser ablation to fine-tune oxide layer application, increased corrosion resistance can be developed to prevent the dissolution at the heart of salt system material loss.3<\/sup><\/p>\n Corrosion is an electrochemical reaction, often on the surface of a metal, that can be described as destructive and unintentional.14<\/sup> A full electrical circuit is made between two metals with an electrochemical potential difference, bridged by a conductor on one side and the ions of a molten salt electrolyte on the other (see Fig. 1 below).15<\/sup><\/p>\nCorrosion explained<\/h3>\n