Infrared Optical Spectroscopy of Molten Fluorides: Methods, Electronic and Vibrational Data, Structural Interpretation, and Relevance to Radiative Heat Transfer

TL;DR

This paper reviews infrared optical spectroscopy methods and data for molten fluorides, highlighting their relevance to modeling radiative heat transfer in molten salts used in high-temperature applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive compilation of spectroscopic data and structural interpretations for molten fluorides, aiding in predicting radiative heat transfer behavior.

Findings

Vibrational absorption impacts mid-infrared and near-infrared RHT.

Estimated absorption coefficients at 700°C: 493 m^(-1) for FLiBe and 148 m^(-1) for FLiNaK.

Spectroscopic data can inform engineering models of radiative heat transfer.

Abstract

To help address the need for predicting radiative heat transfer (RHT) behavior of molten salts, we conducted a comprehensive review of methods and data from infrared optical spectroscopic measurements on molten fluoride salts. Transmittance, reflectance, and trans-reflectance experimental methods are discussed, along with the corresponding data reduction methodology and the limitations of each technique. Optical spectroscopy is a convenient indirect probe for changes in structural parameters with temperature and composition. Electronic and vibrational absorption data for transition-metal, lanthanide, and actinide solutes and vibrational absorption data for alkali and alkaline earth fluoride solvents are compiled, and the corresponding structural interpretation is discussed and compared with other experimental and theoretical work. We find that solvent and solute vibrational absorption can be significant in the mid-infrared, resulting in near-infrared edges of significance to RHT. Extrapolation and averaging of existing edge data leads to estimated gray absorption coefficient values at 700 degrees C of 493 m^(-1) for FLiBe and 148 m^(-1) for FLiNaK, both within the range of 1 to 6000 m^(-1) identified to be of engineering relevance for radiative heat transfer analysis.