TheMolten Salt Reactor (MSR) is probably the most promising design of the 4th generation for the future of nuclear energy. The liquid nature of the fuel and the implementation of innovative safety measures could, in time, open up access to energy from atomic fission to the whole world. The adaptability of the concept makes it possible to consider different slow or fast neutron spectrum options, different fuel options depending on available resources, and different sizes and power outputs, from a few MWth to 3,000 MWth. This work aims to answer some of the many questions that need to be addressed to assess the safety of MSRs. One of the main objectives is to use a thermodynamic approach to describe the effect of the fission and corrosion products on the fuel salt behavior, and the other is to study methods for controlling and eliminating interfering fission product elements in the reactor core....@en

This work examines the thermochemistry of the chromium difluoride CrF₂ corrosion product in the molten [Formula presented] fuel salt system. Through a combination of experimental investigations and thermodynamic modeling assessment, the study elucidates the thermodynamic properties, phase diagram equilibria, and overall thermodynamic behavior of CrF₂ corrosion product, following dissolution from a structural material to the molten salt fuel environment. In this work, two different synthesis methods were developed for pure CrF₂, further allowing to experimentally measure the phase equilibria in the [Formula presented], [Formula presented], and [Formula presented] systems. Then, thermodynamic models were developed using the CALPHAD method based on the quasichemical model in the quadruplet approximation.

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Lithium-based fluoride salts are one of the leading options as fuel matrix in Molten Salt Reactors. The understanding of their thermodynamic behavior, e.g. chemical stability, activity, as well as heat transfer properties, in the reactor’s environment is crucial for the safety assessment. In this work, the chemical equilibria of lithium fluoride with two important fission products dissolved in the salt matrix, namely barium fluoride and zirconium fluoride, are considered. The phase diagrams of the binary systems LiF-BaF2, LiF-ZrF4 and BaF2-ZrF4, as well as the ternary system LiF-BaF2-ZrF4 are assessed by the CALPHAD (CALculation of PHase Diagram) method using the quasichemical model in the quadruplet approximation for the liquid solution. These models are based on literature and new experimental data, and provide a good overview of the stability of intermediate compounds formed in the various systems and of the liquid solution.@en

The present study describes the thermodynamic assessment of three pseudo-binary systems relevant to CsI solubility in molten iodide salts: KI-CsI, NaI-CsI, and NaF-CsI. The motivation for this study was to corroborate a single previously reported data set of the NaI-CsI system, resolve inconsistencies reported by two different data-sets of the KI-CsI system, and generate new experimental data on the NaF-CsI system. Equilibrium data for all systems were obtained using Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Thermodynamic treatments of the three pseudo-binary systems were revised using the CALPHAD method with the thermodynamic software FactSage and Thermochimica. Both experimental and computational investigations provide increased confidence in the thermochemical behaviour of CsI in Molten Salt Reactor nuclear systems.

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Chloride salts are considered a good alternative to fluoride salts as fuel carrier in the Molten Salt Fast Reactor concepts. The NaCl–ThCl4–PuCl3 fuel salt solution seems very promising, with low melting temperature eutectic compositions, and the potential to be used in a breeder and burner type of reactor design. This work focuses on the first thermodynamic modeling assessment of the ThCl4–PuCl3 binary system and the NaCl–ThCl4–PuCl3 ternary system, using the CALPHAD (Computer Coupling of Phase Diagrams and Thermochemistry) method and the quasichemical formalism in the quadruplet approximation. The investigated system shows potential for a high flexibility with respect to composition at operating temperatures, which can be beneficial to accommodate the requirements on other essential fuel properties (e.g. neutronic and thermo-hydraulic).

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Understanding the corrosion mechanisms and the effect of corrosion products on the basic properties of the salt (e.g., melting point, heat capacity) is fundamental for the safety assessment and durability of molten salt reactor technology. This work focused on the thermodynamic assessment of the CrF2−CrF3 system and the binary systems of chromium trifluoride CrF3 with alkali fluorides (LiF, NaF, KF) using the CALPHAD (computer coupling of phase diagrams and thermochemistry) method. In this work, the modified quasi-chemical model in the quadruplet approximation was used to develop new thermodynamic modelling assessments of the binary solutions, which are highly relevant in assessing the corrosion process in molten salt reactors. The agreement between these assessments and the phase equilibrium data available in the literature is generally good. The excess properties (mixing enthalpies, entropies and Gibbs energies) calculated in this work are consistent with the expected behaviour of decreasing enthalpy and Gibbs energy of mixing with the increasing ionic radius of the alkali cations.@en