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ELAIA

Abstract

The desire to reduce pollution caused by electricity production has led to a call for the replacement of conventional fossil fuel power plants. In order to fulfill this goal, a large amount of new nuclear reactors is required, and this provides the opportunity to put new and innovative reactor designs into production. The Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) is one of the most promising concepts, but a suitable combination of molten salt and container material needs to be found to reduce the potential for corrosion before the concept can be put into production. FLiNaK molten salt and the nickel-based alloy Hastelloy N have been identified as prime candidates for this function. The severity of FLiNaK corrosion in Hastelloy N requires study before this combination can be used in the operation of an MSR. In this work, Hastelloy N samples were submerged in FLiNaK molten salt for varying periods over a 55-hour interval and then hardness tested at twenty points on each sample in order to observe the progression of corrosion over time. Regression showed a statistically significant linear decrease in the hardness of the Hastelloy N samples over 55 hours submerged in the FLiNaK molten salt. When combined with previous studies, these findings indicate that Hastelloy N and FLiNaK are not a suitable pair to be used in the MSR.

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