title: In situ production of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in molten salt phase for thermal energy storage and heat-transfer fluid applications.
abstract: In this study, TiO2nanoparticles (average particle size 16 nm) were successfully produced in molten salt phase and were showed to significantly enhance the specific heat capacity of a binary eutectic mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate (60/40) by 5.4 % at 390 °C and 7.5 % at 445 °C for 3.0 wt% of precursors used. The objective of this research was to develop a cost-effective alternate method of production which is potentially scalable, as current techniques utilized are not economically viable for large quantities. Enhancing the specific heat capacity of molten salt would promote more competitive pricing for electricity production by concentrating solar power plant. Here, a simple precursor (TiOSO4) was added to a binary eutectic mixture of potassium and sodium nitrate, heated to 450 °C, and cooled to witness the production of nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK.
authors.forename: Mathieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lasfargues
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.affiliation: School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT UK.
authors.forename: Yulong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ding
keywords: Heat-transfer fluid; Molten salt; Nanoparticle production; Nanoparticles; Nitrate salt; Specific heat capacity