Microstructure & physicochemical properties dataset of NaCl-based salt mixtures for concentrating solar power

TL;DR

This paper provides a dataset on the properties of NaCl-based molten salts for use in solar power systems, which could improve energy storage and efficiency.

Contribution

The dataset introduces comprehensive microstructural and physicochemical data for NaCl-based mixtures at high temperatures beyond current commercial limits.

Findings

The dataset includes thermal expansion, conductivity, and viscosity of NaCl-based mixtures.

Microstructure properties like coordination bond angles and ionic diffusion coefficients are detailed.

The data spans a wide temperature range, exceeding current commercial solar salt limits.

Abstract

Concentrating solar power is a pivotal technology in global transition toward renewable energy, providing a viable pathway for dispatchable and base-load electricity generation. An important component of the concentrating solar power system is molten salts, particularly NaCl-based mixtures, which serve as both efficient heat transfer fluids and high-capacity thermal energy storage media. The influence mechanisms of micro-ionic interactions and microstructure on physicochemical properties of NaCl-based molten salt mixtures play a decisive role in exploration of more efficient molten salt formulations. We present a dataset of microstructure and physicochemical properties of NaCl-based molten salt mixtures for concentrating solar power, which involves thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity, specific enthalpy of fusion, specific heat capacity, density, and viscosity of mixtures, ionic self-diffusion coefficient, coordination bond angle and coordination bond length of ion pairs, and coordination number of ions across varying elemental compositions and a wide temperature ranges from 556 K to 1400 K, which significantly exceeds the current operating limits of commercial nitrate-based solar salt. The dataset may help to integrate concentrating solar power with other renewable energy technologies, which is essential for maximizing its impact on global climate change mitigation efforts.

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