Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment, Nuclear research facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Tennessee, US
The Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment was a research facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory that used liquid fluoride salts as both fuel and coolant. The system operated at temperatures around 650 degrees Celsius and featured specialized control rooms and monitoring equipment designed to manage this unusual liquid-fuel technology safely.
The facility began operating in 1965 and achieved a milestone in 1968 when it first used uranium-233 fuel. Research continued until 1969, demonstrating that alternative reactor concepts using liquid salts were viable.
Engineers and scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory developed methods for handling liquid fuel reactors, establishing protocols for future nuclear research.
The site is located within the laboratory grounds and requires advance authorization or special permission to visit. Today it can only be seen as part of guided tours or historical visit programs offered by the facility.
The system proved that Hastelloy-N containers could sustain nuclear fission reactions in fluoride salts over extended periods. This finding was groundbreaking for understanding which materials and chemicals could work in advanced reactor designs.
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