Discuss the use of molten salts as a non-aqueous solvents in brief.

Short Answer

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Molten salts, in their liquid state, possess unique properties such as high conductivity, high boiling points, and low volatility. They serve as excellent solvents for several reactions, particularly those requiring high temperatures, due to their thermal stability. Applications are found in various areas from electrochemical processes to energy storage and power plants.

Step by step solution

01

Understand Molten Salts

Molten salts are simply salts that have been heated to their melting point, converting them into a liquid state. This process also results in complete ionic disassociation of the salt, making molten salts excellent conductors of electricity.
02

Properties of Molten Salts

Molten salts have a high boiling point, low volatility, and high heat capacity. This makes them attractive as thermal storage mediums and in certain applications, they can function under extreme temperatures without decomposing or vaporizing.
03

Molten Salts as Solvents

Molten salts can act as solvents for a wide range of reactions. They can dissolve various substances, encouraging diverse chemical reactions. Furthermore, because of their ionic nature and high thermal stability, they can support reactions at high temperatures that might not be feasible in other solvents.
04

Applications of Molten Salts

The common applications of molten salts include electrochemical processes, thermal energy storage, nuclear reactors, solar power plants, and aluminum extraction. They are also used in some types of batteries, known as molten salt batteries.

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