Electrophysical Properties of Mg-Pb Based Liquid Alloys and Their Application

Summary

The electrophysical measurements were performed for binary Mg-Pb and ternary Mg-Pb-based liquid alloys at temperatures up to about 1200 K under pressures of argon gas (up to 50 MPa). It was revealed that small amounts of a third component (Al, Ga, Ni, Bi, Cu) affect the eutectic temperature and other properties. The obtained results together with its large heat capacity and heat conductivity, high boiling and low melting temperatures, low vapor pressure led us to propose the Mg-Pb eutectic as a heat transfer medium. Firstly designed for utilization in “new-generation inherently-safe” nuclear fast reactors, the Mg-Pb-coolant can be applied to different industrial high temperature processes. Moreover, the alloy is inexpensive, easily obtainable, non-toxic, and environmentally benign.