Corrosion-resistant coolant salt and method for making same
AssigneeTerraPower, LLC
InventorBrian C. Kelleher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This document describes a method for reducing the corrosivity of certain magnesium salts. The salt product resulting from the method exhibits reduced corrosion of steels that come into contact with the salt relative to salt compositions that are not so treated. This makes such treated salts more efficient coolant salts as they will require less equipment replacement over time. The method uses magnesium metal to reduce unwanted impurities in the salts the reduced impurities are then removed as either gas or precipitate from the now purified salt. Without being bound to one particular theory, it is believed that the reduction of the level of impurities in the salt results in a salt with substantially reduced corrosiveness to steel.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a less corrosive NaCl—MgCl2 salt from a NaCl—MgCl2 salt containing at least one impurity, the method comprising:
- mixing the NaCl—MgCl2 salt containing the at least one impurity with Mg metal at a temperature above the melting point of the NaCl—MgCl2 salt and the Mg metal to obtain a salt-Mg mixture containing at least one reacted impurity;
- and
- removing at least some of the at least one reacted impurity from the salt-Mg mixture to obtain the less corrosive NaCl—MgCl2 salt.
The method of claim 1-17 wherein the less corrosive NaCl—MgCl2 salt has less than 50 mg/kg of impurities.
A method for manufacturing an MgCl2—X salt comprising:
- providing an impure MgCl2—X salt containing one or more impurities selected from water, Fe, FeCl3, Cr, CrCl3, Ni, NiCl3, Cu, CuCl3, V, VCl3, Ti, TiCl3, Mn, MnCl2, Mo, MoCl3, Zn, and ZnCl2;
- mixing the impure MgCl2—X salt with Mg at a temperature above the melting point of the impure MgCl2—X salt and the Mg to obtain a salt-Mg mixture containing at least one reacted impurity;
- and
- removing at least some of the at least one reacted impurity from the salt-Mg mixture to obtain treated MgCl2—X salt.
A salt of MgCl2 and one or more of LiCl, KCl, and NaCl having less than 100 mg/kg of impurities.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.