#)What are Molten salt technology and Eutectic mixtures ?

Ans -> Molten salt technology refers to the use of molten salts as a medium for energy storage and
transfer in various industrial processes. Molten salts are a class of materials that remain liquid at high
temperatures, typically above 200°C, and are made up of ions that are either in solution or in a
molten state.
Eutectic mixtures, on the other hand, are a type of molten salt that are formed when two or more
salts are mixed together in a certain proportion to form a mixture that has a lower melting point than
either of the individual salts.

#)Uses on industrial level.

Ans ->
i) Molten chloride salt mixtures are commonly used as quenching baths for various alloy heat
treatments, such as annealing and martempering of steel.
ii) Cyanide and chloride salt mixtures are used for surface modification of alloys such
as carburizing and nitrocarburizing of steel.
iii) Cryolite (a fluoride salt) is used as a solvent for aluminium oxide in the production of aluminium in
the Hall-Héroult process.
iv) Fluoride, chloride, and hydroxide salts can be used as solvents in pyroprocessing of nuclear fuel.
v) Molten salts (fluoride, chloride, and nitrate) can be used as heat transfer fluids as well as
for thermal storage. This thermal storage is commonly used in concentrated solar power plants.
vi) Molten-salt reactors are a type of nuclear reactor that uses molten salt(s) as a coolant or as a
solvent.

#)Advantages.
Ans ->
i) The molten salts that are used most frequently in heat transfer applications are nitrate salts due
to their low salt melting point, thermophysical properties, low vapor pressure, high operating
temperature, corrosion performance, and low toxicity.
ii) Molten salts help increase the maximum temperature limits in which a liquid heat transfer media
can be utilized. Although individual salts are usable in these applications, combining two salts
together helps reduce the melting point. The reduced melting point enables lower minimum
operating temperatures, which minimizes the risk of freezing.
iii) A wide range of salt blends can help achieve specific operating temperatures required in certain
applications. Compared to hydrocarbon fluids, molten salts experience minimal vapor pressure,
regardless of how close operating temperatures are to their limits. As a result, high-pressure
equipment and piping are almost entirely unneeded.
iv) Molten salts are also usable at higher temperatures compared to other fluids such as silicone
fluids and synthetic oils. They also have thermal stability and good heat transfer properties. Their high
efficiency makes them suitable for use as heat transfer and molten salt energy storage media, as they
are eco-friendly and can reduce operating costs.
v) Synthetic fluids generally have maximum operating temperatures that limit them to 662°F (350°C)
before undergoing degradation. Even below this temperature, oils can degrade and may need to be
replaced after several years of use. An additional consequence of this degradation is that oil will
eventually break down into carbon or polymerize. This can lead to fouling of the heat exchange
equipment or sensitive electronics.

#)Disadvantages.
Ans ->
i) Oil-based heat transfer fluids are relatively easy to use when compared to Molten salts and Eutectic
mixtures because they are liquid at room temperature.
ii) The main disadvantage of molten salts is that they generally freezes at temperatures (248°F to
428°F or 120°C to 220°C ) well above room temperature.
iii) Applications that use molten salts require heat tracing in all piping and equipment to prevent the
salt from freezing. Also, salts expand when they re-melt. If the salt is not heated uniformly during the
re-melting process, it can damage piping, valves and other equipment. As a result, when using a
molten salt, it is essential to take the necessary precautions to prevent the salt from freezing during
operation.
#)Molten salt research topics.
Ans ->
i) Related to new parabolic trough systems with molten salt as HTF (currently thermal oil is
commercially utilized), there is a need to identify salt mixtures with a lower operation temperature.
Main reasons are lowering the risk of salt freezing and thermal losses at night in the large parabolic
trough solar field. To some extend lowering of salt mixture costs with calcium nitrate is anticipated.
ii) Molten salt corrosion research is diverse with several aspects affecting the corrosion rate. They
include salt composition, salt impurities, atmospheric conditions, type of structural metal, treatment
of metals (e.g., surface finishing, heat treatment) and application related aspects (e.g., additional
mechanical loads, temperature changes and gradients, welds and welding additives, salt flow, salt-gas
boundary layers). For CSP, metallic corrosion research focuses on carbon and stainless steels, as well
as nickel based structural alloys for nitrates, chlorides and carbonates.