Experimental Investigations into the Corrosion of Alloy 625 Using NaCl-PuCl3 Molten Salt in a Natural Circulation Microloop

Technical Report · Mon Oct 21 04:00:00 EDT 2024

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/2481273· OSTI ID:2481273

Karlsson, Toni Y. ^[1]; Warmann, Stephen A. ^[1]; Tolman, David D. ^[1]; Rigoulot, Tyler J. ^[1]; Wren, Chase T. ^[1]; Howard, Cameron Boyd ^[1]; Trowbridge, Tammy L. ^[1]; Burns, Jatuporn ^[1]; Erfurth, Nick H. ^[1]; Falconer, Cody ^[2]; Mitchell, Ivan ^[2]

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1. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
2. TerraPower LLC, Bellevue, WA (United States)

Molten salt reactors (MSRs) can potentially revolutionize the nuclear industry by providing a path to a near-zero nuclear waste fuel cycle, contributing to more sustainable energy sources. As a plethora of MSR developers in the United States work toward an aggressive commercialization timeline, many of their fueled-salts—notably, chloride-based compositions—have limited operational testing with nuclear material. Licensing and operating these reactors require an understanding of corrosion effects on reactor materials of construction under operational conditions. The TerraPower Molten Chloride Fast Reactor (MCFR) is a liquid-fueled chloride-salt fast reactor which has received notable interest from the utility sector based on its desirable economic characteristics. The reactor operates at low pressure but does not require the use of highly reactive chemicals, leading to a reduced use of concrete and steel during construction. Additionally, liquid fuel allows for inherently stable behavior and natural circulation during a loss-of-site-power scenario. MCFR can be refueled while operating which makes it compatible with variable generation sources such as wind and solar. MCFR is a breed-and-burn in-situ reactor that does not implement any chemical processing or separations in the fuel cycle. Only mechanical filtration of noble metals and off-gassing of noble gases are utilized while the actinides stay mixed with the fuel at all times. The MCFR will require technology development to reach commercialization. With a breed-and-burn in-situ reactor like MCFR, the transmutation of fertile U-238 to fissile Pu-239 allows for much greater fuel utilization.

• Research Organization: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); TerraPower LLC, Bellevue, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
• DOE Contract Number: AC07-05ID14517
• OSTI ID: 2481273
• Report Number(s): INL/RPT--24-81440-Rev.001; CRADA 21CRA25
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Fuel Salt
Inconel
Mircoloop
Plutonium
Plutonium Trichloride
alloy 625
corrosion
flowloop
molten salt