Chemists unlock secrets of molten salts
The thermodynamic characteristics of molten salts, which are employed in several nuclear and solar energy applications, have been studied in a unique method by a chemist at the University of Cincinnati. Yu Shi, a computational chemist and research associate at the University of California's College of Arts and Sciences, and his colleagues created a new simulation technique that uses deep learning AI to compute free energy. Molten salt is salt that has been heated to a high enough temperature to become liquid. Table salt, or sodium chloride, was the subject of study at UC. Shi claimed that the qualities of molten salt made it a useful medium for nuclear power stations' cooling systems. They can be used to store energy or transport heat in solar towers. Ironically, molten salt transmits electricity even though it is an insulator. Shi said that molten salts may store a lot of energy in a liquid form and are stable at high temperatures. "They possess excellent thermodynamic qu...