Long-Term Evaluation of a Ternary Mixture of Molten Salts in Solar Thermal Storage Systems: Impact on Thermophysical Properties and Corrosion.

Solar thermal plants typically undergo trough operational cycles spanning between 20 and 25 years, highlighting the critical need for accurate assessments of long-term component evolution. Among these components, the heat storage media (molten salt) is crucial in plant design, as it significantly influences both the thermophysical properties of the working fluid and the corrosion of the steel components in thermal storage systems. Our research focused on evaluating the long-term effects of operating a low-melting-point ternary mixture consisting of 30 wt% LiNO, 57 wt% KNO, and 13 wt% NaNO.