Molten Salt Corrosion

Molten salt corrosion is the degradation of metal containers by molten or fused salts. There are two general mechanisms attributed to this form of corrosion. The most common is the oxidation of the metal much like in aqueous environments. The second is the dissolution of the metal. To a lesser extent, all forms of aqueous corrosion have been observed in fused salts.

Effects of the More Common Molten Salts on Metals

These effects are summarized in Table 21.

Managing Molten Salt Corrosion

Methods to reduce molten salt corrosion include:

• Use materials that form a passive nonsoluble films
• Minimize the entry of oxidizing species
• Lower the temperatures