Abstract
We present a study on the electrochemical behavior of magnesium hydroxide (MgOH+) reduction on a tungsten (W) cathode in molten chloride salt (MgCl2-KCl-NaCl) across the temperature range of 475 degrees C-525 degrees C. MgOH+, which forms within the salt upon exposure to moisture, is a leading cause of corrosion. Corrosion is a major barrier to deployment of chloride salts across a number of applications, including concentrating solar power plants and nuclear power plants. While pre-purification protocols have been developed to ensure MgOH+ is removed from molten chloride salts prior to deployment, MgOH+ forms in situ during operation of chloride-salt based plants. Thus, methods for continuous purification during plant operation are needed. Continuous electrochemical purification via electrolysis using a Mg anode and W cathode has been proposed, but little has been done to assess scalability. Here, we assess fundamental properties of electrochemical removal of MgOH+ to enable future scale up of this method.
Original language | American English |
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Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Journal of the Electrochemical Society |
Volume | 170 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2023 |
NREL Publication Number
- NREL/JA-5500-85974
Keywords
- chloride salts
- concentrating solar power
- corrosion control
- molten salt electrochemistry
- molten salt purification