TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY

Corrosion Mitigation in Molten Salts through Ar+H2 Gas Sparging Technique

Significantly mitigating the corrosion of materials in molten salt systems, fostering durability and cost-efficiency in multiple industry applications.

Opportunity: Idaho National Laboratory (INL), managed and operated by Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC (BEA), offers the opportunity to explore a license and/or collaborative research agreement to commercialize this gas sparging technique. This technology transfer opportunity is part of a dedicated effort to convert government-funded research into job opportunities, businesses, and, ultimately, an improved way of life for the American people.

Overview: Corrosion in molten salt systems poses an enduring challenge for industries that engage in molten salt processes. Recognizing the urgent need for efficient and cost-effective solutions, Idaho National Laboratory has developed a groundbreaking method that drastically reduces corrosion of materials in these high-stress environments.

Description: The solution leverages a simple yet effective gas sparging process. A blend of hydrogen and argon is introduced to the molten salts, improving salt chemistry and thus diminishing its corrosiveness. This technique has been rigorously tested and confirmed in chloride salt systems such as NaCl-MgCl2 using 316H stainless steel, demonstrating the promise for application in other salt systems including fluoride salts.

Benefits:

• Offers a practical and efficient approach to mitigating corrosion, driving longevity of materials and significant economic benefits.

• Enables removal of corrosion products, dissolved gases, and major impurities such as oxygen and moisture from molten salts.

• Controls the redox potential of the molten salt, further enhancing the resistance of materials to corrosion.

• Positively impacts the overall performance and efficiency of molten salt reactors and similar systems by removing dissolved corrosive fission products.

Applications:

• Significant value-add for molten salt reactors, with the ability to modify existing gas sparging systems for more effective removal of corrosive fission products.

• Broad applicability in diverse molten salt systems, paving the way for corrosion mitigation in bromide, fluoride, nitrate salts, and beyond.

• Potential for use in industries that engage in molten salt processes, potentially revolutionizing procedures and operations.

Development Status: TRL 5: Concept has been validated in a laboratory environment.

IP Status: Provisional Patent Application No. 63/383,109, “Methods of Removing Impurities from a Molten Salt and Related Systems,” BEA Docket No. BA-1376.

INL seeks to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available. Added value is placed on relationships with small businesses, start-up companies, and general entrepreneurship opportunities.

Please visit Technology Deployment’s website at https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/technology-deployment for more information on working with INL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Companies interested in learning more about this licensing opportunity should contact Andrew Rankin at td@inl.gov.