Liquid Metals as Efficient High‐Temperature Heat‐Transport Fluids

TLDR

Liquid metals are attractive heat‑transport fluids because of their high thermal conductivity and low viscosity, yet handling challenges, safety concerns, and material degradation have limited their use, though recent R&D advances now open broader short‑term applications. The study aims to provide a differentiated assessment of individual liquid‑metal properties tailored to specific applications, thereby dispelling common misconceptions. The article draws on more than five decades of research at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology to outline key advances in liquid‑metal technology across various applications.

Abstract

Abstract Liquid metals appear to be attractive heat‐transport fluids, in particular if looking at their high thermal conductivities and low viscosities. Despite some pioneering technical applications in the past, complex handling, special requirements, safety concerns, and structural degradation of the materials have prevented their widespread application. However, progress in research and development on liquid‐metal science and technology has advanced considerably in the last decade, and this has opened the gate to their broader use in the short term. This requires a more differentiated view on liquid metals, particularly on the specific properties of individual fluids within the context of specific applications. By doing so, many commonly mentioned prejudices vanish or are of minor significance. At the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a comprehensive research program on liquid‐metal technology has been pursued for more than 50 years, and some of the advances in different applications will be outlined in this article.