Liquid Metal Research (History and Knowledge to be Preserved)

A Short History of Fusible Metals and Alloys – Towards Room Temperature Liquid Metals

“…[150] In the early stages, mercury was employed but found to be encumbered with several issues, namely, mercury oxidation in air, deposition of the mercury oxide on the heat exchanger, and its well-known toxicity. [150] Though, in the beginning, only the U.S.A. and the USSR scrutinized the potential of liquid metals for nuclear reactors, over the years, other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and China, participated in this research field. The application of liquid metals in cooling system management of small modular reactors (S.M.R.s) is characterized by the following advantages: higher boiling temperature -the possibility to work with higher temperature; high efficiency of cooling compared to low mass; higher thermal conductivity, which implies greater heat transfer coefficients, higher heat inertia, and, most desirable, good electrical conductivity, enabling efficient activation of non-moving electromagnetic pumps.…”

“…Liquid metals have long been investigated for their application in thermal management devices owing to their fluidity, high thermal conductivity, and small neutron absorption crosssection. [150] Many fusible and liquid metals have been investigated for reactor cooling, viz., Ga and alloys of gallium, Bibased alloys, and Pb and its alloys. Particularly, the metallic liquid Pb and eutectic Pb/Bi alloy are considered potent candidates for critical and subcritical (accelerated driven) reactors.…”

“…[151] The investigation of liquid metals for power engineering began in the 1930-1940s, and was done in an effort to increase the efficiency of thermal power plants. [150] In the early stages, mercury was employed but found to be encumbered with several issues, namely, mercury oxidation in air, deposition of the mercury oxide on the heat exchanger, and its well-known toxicity. [150] Though, in the beginning, only the U.S.A. and the USSR scrutinized the potential of liquid metals for nuclear reactors, over the years, other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, and China, participated in this research field.…”

“…Particularly, the metallic liquid Pb and eutectic Pb/Bi alloy are considered potent candidates for critical and subcritical (accelerated driven) reactors [151] . The investigation of liquid metals for power engineering began in the 1930–1940s, and was done in an effort to increase the efficiency of thermal power plants [150] . In the early stages, mercury was employed but found to be encumbered with several issues, namely, mercury oxidation in air, deposition of the mercury oxide on the heat exchanger, and its well‐known toxicity [150] .…”