US ramps up nanofluids research for molten salt nuclear reactors

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a grant to Solidion Technology Inc., a Dallas-based battery technology company, to scale up production of carbon nanospheres used as anti-corrosive additives in molten salt heat transfer fluids for advanced nuclear reactors. This project, conducted in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, focuses on developing nanofluids—colloidal suspensions of hollow carbon nanoparticles in molten salts—to enhance heat transfer efficiency and reduce corrosion in molten salt reactors (MSRs) and small modular reactors (SMRs). By addressing these challenges, the technology aims to improve reactor safety, lower operational costs, and accelerate commercialization of cleaner nuclear energy systems. Solidion, traditionally focused on advanced battery materials, is expanding into nuclear energy research with this grant, marking its second recent DOE award following funding from ARPA-E for biomass-derived graphite production. The company holds over 525 patents related to energy storage technologies and plans to leverage this new funding to contribute to US efforts in advancing low-carbon