M4FT:18OR110102182-Develop a new composite molten salt fluid exhibiting an increased heat capacity of 10%

We were able to purify as-bought MgCl₂ by vacuum distillation and KCl by high-temperature drying. It allowed us to remove MgO and H₂O contamination and use pure salts in the heat capacity experiments. We observed that various carbon-based particles in the molten salt glow red even at temperatures as low as 800°C. We used that property to qualitatively analyze the dispersion of particles in the salt. It is clear that hollow carbon spheres disperse in the molten salt to a higher degree than any other particles. Nanodiamonds and onion-like carbon nanoparticle are heavier than the salt and without nay favorable interaction they just sediment. Hollow carbon spheres on the other hand allow the salt into the cavity, leading to density-matching and their dispersion. Preliminary heat capacity measurements are being performed by Linseis Inc. and encountered unexpected delays. The measurement results will be shown later.