Molten-salt reactor

A molten-salt reactor (MSR) is a class of <a href="/facts/Nuclear_fission_reactor/8xqjIbge">nuclear fission reactor</a> in which the primary <a href="/facts/Nuclear_reactor_coolant/7m7FX3Sn">nuclear reactor coolant</a> and/or the fuel is a mixture of <a href="/facts/Molten_salt/b1vjSkwP">molten salt</a> with a fissile material.
Two research MSRs operated in the <a href="/facts/United_States/P0sCdLe5">United States</a> in the mid-20th century. The 1950s <a href="/facts/Aircraft_Reactor_Experiment/MH9WBq2U">Aircraft Reactor Experiment</a> (ARE) was primarily motivated by the technology's compact size, while the 1960s <a href="/facts/Molten-Salt_Reactor_Experiment/80XDBIVX">Molten-Salt Reactor Experiment</a> (MSRE) aimed to demonstrate a <a href="/facts/Nuclear_power_plant/IJj5pJUn">nuclear power plant</a> using a <a href="/facts/Thorium_fuel_cycle/mohxxkx3">thorium fuel cycle</a> in a <a href="/facts/Breeder_reactor/jt0VeXUa">breeder reactor</a>.

Increased research into <a href="/facts/Generation_IV_reactor/ywkkrQ5P">Generation IV reactor</a> designs renewed interest in the 21st century with multiple nations starting projects. On October 11, 2023, China's <a href="/facts/TMSR-LF1/26h3BmY7">TMSR-LF1</a> reached <a href="/facts/Criticality_(status)/AcTlJX76">criticality</a>, and subsequently achieved full power operation, as well as <a href="/facts/Breeder_reactor/jt0VeXUa">Thorium breeding</a>.

Molten-salt reactor open-in-new

Molten-salt reactor