::: Application Report

Determining the Viscosity of Molten Salts

Relevant for:

molten salt, viscosity, flow curve, high temperature

1 Introduction

Salts consist of ionic compounds, i.e. of positively loaded

cations and negatively loaded anions. They form
crystalline structures that are usually solid at room
temperature. The melting points are usually above 100 °C.
Molten salt may absorb a high amount of energy and is not
flammable at high temperatures even above 500 °C.
Therefore it is excellently suitable as energy storage for
solar plants. With this application the salt is molten by solar
energy and pumped into appropriate storage tanks. On
demand it can be pumped out from there and used as
energy source to drive steam turbines. In order to design
the pumps it is necessary to know the flow behavior of the
molten salt. This is described by the viscosity. [1]
Fig. 1 Rotational rheometer with mounted temperature device
and measuring cylinder made of Inconel
This report shows how the viscosity of molten salts can be
determined using a rotational rheometer.
3.2 Test Description and Results
For this test a typical salt mixture was measured. After
2 Samples filling the cup, the inner cylinder is moved down into the cup
until it has contact with the sample. Then the sample can
Salts that are used to store solar energy are usually a be heated up. Because of the normal force control of the
mixture of various components. Commonly nitrates of instrument the melting point of the salt can be determined.
lithium, calcium and potassium are used [1]. By varying the Fig. 2 shows the immersion depth controlled by the normal
composition the flow behavior of the melt can be adjusted. force. You can see that the sample melts near 240 °C; only
then can the inner cylinder be completely immersed into
the sample. After the salt is molten the measuring system
3 Experimental Setup automatically moves to measuring position (here 4 mm)
and the rotational measurement starts. In order to
3.1 Instrument investigate the temperature dependent flow behavior a
temperature ramp can be preset. Fig. 3 shows the viscosity
of the sample between 240 °C and 500 °C at a constant
The sample was measured with an MCR 502 rotational shear rate of 10 s-1. You can see that the viscosity
rheometer from Anton Paar. To reach the high decreases rapidly with rising temperature.
temperatures a special temperature chamber was used
that is able to heat the samples up to 1000 °C. The used Apart from the temperature the shear rate also has a
measuring system was a cylinder and cup made of Inconel significant influence on the flow behavior of the sample. To
(special metal alloy). Fig. 1 shows the setup of the device. determine this the viscosity curves are measured at

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::: Application Report

constant temperatures. In Fig. 4 a viscosity curve is shown

with a logarithmic shear rate preset from 0.1 to 100 s-1 at
260 °C. The shear thinning behavior of the sample is
clearly visible as the viscosity values decrease from
55 mPas down to 5 mPas.

The results allow direct interpretation of the samples

behavior when conveyed by pumps. It is apparent that
apart from the temperature the conveyance speed also has
a direct influence on the viscosity of the sample.

Fig. 4 Viscosity curve of the molten salt at 260 °C

4 Summary
Molten salts are excellently suitable to store and transport
energy. For conveyance the viscosity plays an important
role when it comes to designing the pumps. This
application report shows how the viscosity and
consequently the flow behavior of molten salts can be
Fig. 2 Change of the inner cylinders immersion depth depending
determined using a rotational rheometer from Anton Paar.
on the temperature in order to determine the melting point
Results of such measurements allow direct interpretation
of the conveyability of molten salts depending on flow
speed and temperature.

5 Literature
[1] Robert W. Bradshaw, 2010, Viscosity of Multi-compo-
nent Molten Nitrate Salts—Liquidus to 200 °C, Sandia
National Laboratories Albuquerque

Measurements: Simone Stojanovic

Text: Markus Thiele

Contact: Anton Paar GmbH

Tel: +49 711 720 91 600

Fig. 3 Viscosity curve of the molten salt depending on the rheo-application@anton-paar.com
temperature at a constant shear rate of 10 s-1. http://www.anton-paar.com

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