Sodium Graphite Reactor Experiment

Liquid metal has been used to cool thermal and fast reactors. Sodium-cooled graphite reactors are examples of thermal reactors. The sodium-cooled reactor experiment was... 

For high-temperature operations, materials, and fuels are key technologies. There is a century of large-scale experience in the use of fluoride molten salts. Aluminum is made by electrolysis of a mixture of bauxite and sodium aluminum fluoride salts at 1000 C in large graphite baths. Fluoride salts are compatible with graphite fuels. A smaller nuclear experience base exists with molten fluoride salts in molten salt reactors. Nickel alloys such as modified Hastelloy-N have been qualified for service to 750 C. A number of metals and carbon-carbon composites have been identified for use at much higher temperatures however, these materials have not yet been fully developed or tested for such applications. 

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