Equipment for probing fundamental FLiBe molten salt behaviour to support future delivery of fusion and fission energy

Context: The salt system FLiBe is considered to be one of the two options for the blanket material for breeding tritium fuel in the UK's STEP fusion reactor to be deployed by 2040, and is considered for use in a number of next generation molten salt reactor (MSR) fission designs, primarily because of the favourable neutronic properties of this salt system. However, despite its proposed deployment in looming advanced nuclear energy systems there is comparatively limited fundamental understanding of the chemical behaviour of these salts under likely operational conditions and associated performance knowledge for FLiBe containment materials.

Challenge: There are few facilities throughout the world capable of studying FLiBe salt systems not only due to the challenges of preparing and handling fluoride salts, due to the potential generation of corrosive hydrofluouric acid (HF), but also the toxicity concerns in handling beryllium. The ability to safely study FLiBe with radioactive tritium to support fusion, and other radioisotopes of interest (e.g uranium and thorium for MSR systems) will make this facility unique worldwide.

Aims and Objectives: The proposed glovebox system, combined with an integrated worker safety and monitoring strategy, will offer world-leading capability of high immediate interest across academia and industry, which is needed given the relatively short timelines to deployment of these FLiBe salts in advanced reactor systems.

The primary aim of the proposed equipment is to provide the capability to handle FLiBe molten salts, that minimises the risk of user exposure to Be toxicity and the possibility of HF generation.