CHBE 565-International Paper Co Seminar-Prof. Lorenzo Vergari, Nuclear, Plasma, & Radiological Engineering-Illinois, "Molten Salts and Nuclear Reactors: A Matter of Chemistry"

Abstract: Due to their advantageous thermophysical and neutronic properties, molten salts are proposed in a variety of roles across advanced fission (both fast and thermal spectrum) and fusion reactors (both inertial and magnetic confinement) to help achieve high operating temperatures, intrinsic safety, and improved economics in power generation. In all these systems, the chemical behavior of molten salts is crucial towards reactor design needs such as corrosion mitigation, tritium management, on-line sensing, chemistry control. This talk will provide an introduction on molten salt chemistry, discussing how molten salt physical and chemical properties affect their behavior in nuclear reactors, providing examples of the outstanding chemistry and materials challenges, and describing how the Advanced Blankets & Coolants Lab at UIUC is working towards addressing them.

About the speaker: Dr. Lorenzo Vergari is an Assistant Professor in Nuclear, Plasma, and Radiological Engineering and the director of the Advanced Blankets & Coolants Laboratory (ABC Lab) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Committed to developing the new generation of coolants and breeding blankets in fission and fusion reactors is pursued, ABC Lab’s members work on electrochemistry, corrosion, mass transport, material characterization, and multi-physics simulations. A recipient of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Distinguished Early Career Award 2025 from the Office of Nuclear Energy, Dr. Vergari holds a Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from the University of California Berkeley, a M.S. in Energy and Nuclear Engineering from Politecnico di Torino, a M.S. in Nuclear Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and a B.S. in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Milano. 

Learn more: Google Scholar, ResearchGate, NPRE Department

Contact information: vergari@illinois.edu.