Reference Electrode for Molten Salts
Some embodiments include a molten salt system comprising: a molten salt enclosure; a molten salt disposed within the molten salt enclosure; a working electrode disposed at least partially within the molten salt; a counter electrode disposed at least partially within the molten salt; a separator barrier disposed at least partially within the molten salt; a reference salt disposed within the separator barrier; and a reference wire disposed within the reference salt.
1 . A reference electrode, comprising:
a separator barrier comprising a membrane that is configured to be disposed at least partially within a molten salt;
a reference salt disposed within the separator barrier; and
a reference wire disposed within the reference salt.
2 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the separator barrier allows for transport of at least one ion through the membrane.
3 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference salt comprises two soluble ions in the reference salt.
4 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference salt comprises a fluoride-based salt.
5 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference salt comprises any mixture of LiF, NaF, KF, BeF 2 , MgF 2 , CaF 2 , ZrF 4 , ThF 4 , UF 3 , and/or UF 4 .
6 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference salt comprises a salt mixture with two soluble ions of the same metal or metal complex at different oxidation states.
7 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference salt comprises at least one of U 4+ /U 3+ , Zr 4+ /Zr 2+ , Cr 3+ /Cr 2+ , Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ , Mn 3+ /Mn 2+ and/or V 5+ /V 3+ .
8 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference salt comprises uranium at two different valence states.
9 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the separator barrier comprises a material that allows for transport of at least one ion through the membrane. The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the separator barrier comprises an anion exchange membrane and/or a diffusion barrier.
11 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the separator barrier comprises of a material that is stable to both the molten salt and the reference salt.
12 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the separator barrier comprises boron nitride, doped boron nitride, alumina, macor, graphite, and/or lanthanum fluoride crystal.
13 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference salt comprises the molten salt with UF 4 and UF 3 .
14 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference wire comprises any metal that is minimally reactive and/or stable with respect to uranium and/or the reference salt and/or the molten salt.
15 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference wire comprises is stable with respect to uranium and/or the reference salt and/or the molten salt.
16 . The reference electrode according to claim 1 , wherein the reference wire comprises tungsten.
17 . A molten salt system comprising:
a molten salt enclosure;
a molten salt disposed within the molten salt enclosure;
a working electrode disposed at least partially within the molten salt;
a counter electrode disposed at least partially within the molten salt;
a separator barrier disposed at least partially within the molten salt;
a reference salt disposed within the separator barrier; and
a reference wire disposed within the reference salt.
18 . The molten salt system according to claim 17 , wherein the molten salt comprises either or both FLiBe and FLiNaK.
19 . The molten salt system according to claim 17 , wherein the molten salt comprises any chloride-based molten salt or any fluoride-based molten salt.
20 . The molten salt system according to claim 17 , wherein the reference salt comprises either or both FLiBe and FLiNaK with UF 4 and UF 3 .
21 . The molten salt system according to claim 17 , wherein the reference salt comprises the molten salt with either or both UF 4 and UF 3 .
22 . The molten salt system according to claim 17 , wherein the reference salt comprises ions more reactive than metals in the reference wire.
23 . The molten salt system according to claim 17 , wherein the reference wire comprises a metal that is less reactive than ions in the reference salt.