Molten Salt Chemistry and Material Degradation

Effective management of used nuclear fuel is one of the most critical challenges for the sustainable future of nuclear energy. Molten salts have emerged as key media across the nuclear fuel cycle, serving as solvents for proliferation-resistant recycling of used nuclear fuel, fuel-coolant mixtures in MSRs, blankets in fusion systems, and thermal energy storage media. Their outstanding chemical stability, solubility for actinides and fission products, and recyclability enable high-temperature operations essential for efficient electricity generation, industrial heat, hydrogen production, and metal processing.​​

However, molten salts operating under extreme environments (500–800 ℃, strong corrosivity, intense radiation) complicate material selection, sensor durability, and in-situ chemical monitoring, directly affecting safety, safeguards, process control, and aging management. Addressing these challenges requires a deep understanding of molten salt chemistry, corrosion mechanisms, and advanced sensing technologies capable of stable operation under such harsh conditions.

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Our research integrates electrochemical sensing, laser-based spectroscopy, and AI-driven chemometrics to establish real-time monitoring for molten salt environments.