New York / New Jersey Section of the Society for Applied Spectroscopy

Invited Seminar – February 19, 2026, 12:00 – 1:00 PM EST
Real-Time Elemental and Isotopic Analysis of Molten Salts Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy
Dr. Hunter B. Andrews – Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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ABSTRACT
Molten salt reactors (MSRs) are one of the generation IV advanced nuclear reactor design concepts. In liquid fueled MSRs, the design breaks from traditional nuclear reactors by dissolving the fuel material into a molten salt matrix that circulates the primary circuit. This design offers advantages in terms of passive safety and improved efficiency but creates challenges related to corrosion and fission product dispersion. The redox levels of the salt will vary depending on the impurities in the salt (e.g., H and O), which can then induce corrosion of the structural materials. Fission products will be generated as nuclear fission occurs; these resultant elements will transport throughout the system based on their properties. Some elements – noble gases and volatile species – will evolve from the salt into the headspace where they must be properly removed through an off-gas system. Other species will remain in the salt, where their concentrations may be indicative of reactor performance. 

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is being investigated as a sensing method for elemental composition and select isotope ratios across the MSR fuel cycle. While traditional radiation-based measurements will be hindered by high background levels and a dispersed fuel salt, LIBS can provide an in-situ measurement of elemental composition regardless of if a species is radioactive. This talk will provide an overview of the recent advancements in the application of LIBS to molten salts, including aerosolized sampling, off-gas monitoring, and directly monitoring engineering-scale molten salt loops.

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY
Hunter Andrews is an R&D Staff Scientist in the Isotope Applications Research Group within the Radioisotopes Science and Technology Division.  His research focus revolves around the development of in-situ, online monitoring tools for complex environments using optical spectroscopy. His main expertise lies in the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), a rapid form of spectroscopy capable of elemental analysis regardless of sample form. Dr. Andrews is a leader in the application of LIBS to molten salts for real-time monitoring, characterization, and quantification. Beyond molten salts, he has developed LIBS methods for the analysis of various gas streams, advanced nuclear fuels, biological and environmental samples, geological samples, and liquids from chemical processing. This expansive experience is captured in his more than 70 peer-reviewed publications. His other research interests include molten salt reactor safeguards and operation, analytical chemistry, electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, neutron imaging, inorganic mass spectrometry, chemometrics, and machine learning.

Dr. Andrews received his Ph.D. in Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020. His graduate research focused on the near-real time material detection through combined implementation of electrochemistry and LIBS for molten salt systems. He first joined ORNL as a postdoctoral researcher in the spring of 2020 and transitioned to staff in the summer of 2021.

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