Sea Salt Research Articles

Effect of sea salt on the interaction between simulated corium and concrete

ABSTRACT During the progression of the severe accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, seawater flowed down to the lower plenum and was predicted to react with molten corium and concrete. For the removal and storage of fuel debris, knowing the effects of seawater components on the characteristics of reaction products in the fuel debris is crucial. To understand changes in the microstructure of fuel debris, a reaction test was conducted by introducing sea salt to simulated corium and concrete under a temperature gradient. Three distinctive microstructures were formed during the reaction test: (i) oxide precipitated in silicate glass, (ii) metallic precipitates, and (iii) unmelted but thermally degraded concrete. Among the components of sea salt, sulfur formed iron sulfide within the metallic precipitate. It was predicted to form through a reaction between stainless steel and SOx gas, which was released by the thermal decomposition of sea salt. Analysis of vaporized species indicated that most of Cl, some Na and K in the sea salt might volatilize during heating rather than react with simulated corium and concrete. Calcium and a small amount of Mg, Na, and K in the sea salt might be trapped in the silicate glass.

Residential Exposure to PM2.5 Constituents and Fecundability in a Danish Preconception Cohort.

Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that ambient concentrations of particulate matter < 2.5 μm (PM2.5) are associated with reduced fecundability, the per cycle probability of conception. The specific constituents driving this association are unknown. We examined the association between ambient concentrations of PM2.5 constituents and fecundability in a Danish preconception cohort study. During 2007-2018, we enrolled female pregnancy planners in an Internet-based preconception cohort study. We included the 5905 participants who had been trying to conceive for < 3 cycles at study enrollment. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire and follow-up questionnaires every 8 weeks to update pregnancy status. We geocoded time-varying residential addresses to estimate ambient concentrations of total PM2.5 and the following PM2.5 constituents: elemental carbon (EC), primary organic aerosol (POA), secondary organic aerosols (SOA), sulfate (SO4 2-), ammonium (NH4 +), nitrate (NO3 -), and sea salt. We averaged concentrations of each pollutant across each menstrual cycle at risk. We fit proportional probabilities regression models to estimate fecundability ratios (FR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for potential confounders and co-pollutants. Total PM2.5 concentrations were associated with reduced fecundability (the FR for an IQR increase, corresponding to 3.2 μg/m3, was 0.93 [95% CI 0.87, 0.99]). The association was strongest for POA: the FR for an IQR increase, corresponding to 1.3 μg/m3, was 0.92 (95% CI 0.84, 1.01). The corresponding FRs for the remaining PM2.5 constituents were 0.96 (95% CI 0.87, 1.05) for EC (IQR = 0.5 μg/m3), 0.98 (95% CI 0.91, 1.06) for SOA (IQR = 0.5), 0.97 (95% CI 0.92, 1.02) for SO2 4- (IQR = 0.4), 0.95 (95% CI 0.91, 1.01) for NH4 + (IQR = 0.5), 0.97 (95% CI 0.93, 1.01) for NO3 - (IQR = 1.0), and 1.00 (95% CI 0.95, 1.06) for sea salt (IQR = 0.4). In this Danish preconception cohort study, PM2.5 constituents derived from biomass and transportation-related combustion may drive the association between PM2.5 concentrations and fecundability.

Halobellus marinus sp. nov., Halobellus ordinarius sp. nov., Halobaculum rarum sp. nov., and Halorarum halobium sp. nov., halophilic archaea isolated from marine solar salt and a saline lake.

Four halophilic archaeal strains were isolated from sea salt and a saline lake in China. Based on phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses, the four strains are related to the genera of Halobellus, Halobaculum, and Halorarum within the family Haloferacaceae. The four strains possess genes responsible for carotenoid synthesis, maintenance of a high internal salt concentration, as well as diverse enzymes with biotechnological potential. The average nucleotide identity (ANI), average amino acid identity (AAI), and digitalDNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values among these four strains and their related species were lower than the established thresholds proposed for species demarcation. Strains DFY28T, ZY16T, QDC11T, and XH14T were distinguished from related species based on a variety of phenotypic characteristics. The major polar lipids of these four strains were similar to those of respective relatives within the genera Halobellus, Halobaculum, and Halorarum. The phenotypic, phylogenetic, and genome-based analyses suggest that strains DFY28T (= CGMCC 1.17470T = JCM 34310T), ZY16T (= CGMCC 1.17476T = JCM 34311T), QDC11T (= MCCC 4K00127T = KCTC 4308T), and XH14T (= CGMCC 1.17028T = JCM 34145T) represent four novel species of the genera Halobellus, Halobaculum and Halorarum, for which the names Halobellus marinus sp. nov., Halobellus ordinarius sp. nov., Halobaculum rarum sp. nov., and Halorarum halobium sp. nov. are proposed.

Discriminating between “drizzle or rain” and sea salt aerosols in Cloudnet for measurements over the Barbados Cloud Observatory

Abstract. The highly sensitive Ka-band cloud radar at the Barbados Cloud Observatory (BCO) frequently reveals radar reflectivity signals below −50 dBZ within the convective sub-cloud layer. These so-called haze echoes are signals from hygroscopically grown sea salt aerosols. Within the Cloudnet target classification scheme, haze echoes are generally misclassified as precipitation (target class: “drizzle or rain”). We present a technique to discriminate between “drizzle or rain” and sea salt aerosols in Cloudnet that is applicable to marine Cloudnet sites. The method is based on deriving heuristic probability functions utilizing a combination of cloud radar reflectivity factor, radar mean Doppler velocity, and the ceilometer attenuated backscatter coefficient. The method is crucial for investigating the occurrence of precipitation and significantly improves the Cloudnet target classification scheme for measurements at the BCO. The results are validated against the amount of precipitation detected by the Virga-Sniffer tool. We analyze data for measurements at BCO covering 2 years (July 2021–July 2023). A first-ever statistical analysis of the Cloudnet target classification product including the new “haze echo” target over 2 years at the BCO is presented. In the atmospheric column above the BCO, “drizzle or rain” is on average more frequent during the dry season compared to the wet season due to the higher occurrence of warm clouds contributing to the amount of precipitation. Haze echoes are identified about 4 times more often during the dry season compared to the wet season. The frequency of occurrence of “drizzle or rain” in Cloudnet caused by misclassified haze echoes is overestimated by up to 16 %. Supported by the Cloudnet statistics and the results obtained from the Virga-Sniffer tool, 48 % of detected warm clouds in the dry and wet season precipitate. The proportion of precipitation evaporating fully before reaching the ground (virga) is higher during the dry season.

Treasure Bowl: PM2.5 Aggregation in the Eye of a Tropical Cyclone

AbstractA local tropical cyclone (TC) in South China Sea was observed making its first complete landfall on an island. Following the arrival of the TC eye, PM2.5 concentration rose from 4 µg/m³ to 44 µg/m³. Mass reconstruction results reveal that sea salt emerged as the primary source. The similar molar ratios of elements before and after landfall confirm that the source of PM2.5 is associated with the local terrigenous sediment. The ratio of Na+/Cl− in the TC eyewall is approximately 5:1 indicating the existence of chlorine depletion. Meanwhile, the concentration of Cl− and molar ratios like Si/Fe inside the TC eyewall show a rapid increase, and reach a peak in the TC eye, indicating that marine particulate matter invades and presents a treasure‐bowl‐like stepwise aggregation. Our findings provide statistical and theoretical foundations for understanding extreme air pollution events, offering direct evidence of sea‐land transport throughout the entire TC.

Twenty years of studying the origins and fate of atmospheric mercury over the Mediterranean Sea.

This study provides a review of 13 oceanographic campaigns between 2000 and 2017 to measure Hg in the Mediterranean, highlighting major findings from measurement and modelling activities during the Med-Oceanor program. The initial campaigns showed that high concentrations of RGM could be found far from industrial source regions and the observed daily variation in concentration, with peaks at midday and lower concentrations during darkness gave the first indications that photochemically mediated oxidation reactions were producing RGM in the MBL. Later atmospheric chemistry modelling studies showed the feasibility of Hg oxidation by bromine containing oxidants, which are released as a result of the acidification of sea salt aerosols in the Marine Boundary Layer (MBL). Spatial and seasonal variations of DGM were observed at different depths in the water column, with average DGM concentrations higher in the West and East Mediterranean deep and intermediate waters, than in overlaying Atlantic waters. DGM in water profiles typically increased with depth, together with nutrients and decreasing oxygen, indicating a possible bacterial and/or geogenic origin. Using measured DGM and meteorological variable values Hg fluxes can be calculated. When these are included in regional and global models they suggest that the net Hg evasion from the Mediterranean is around 30Mgyr-1. Repetition of these campaigns should be an extremely high priority, both to continue to monitor changes in atmospheric and aquatic Hg species concentrations, but also to perform RGM detection methodology intercomparisons so that the historical data is adequately contextualised and may be used to evaluate temporal trends.

Constraining the Uncertainty Associated With Sea Salt Aerosol Parameterizations in Global Models Using Nudged UKESM1‐AMIP Simulations

Constraining the Uncertainty Associated With Sea Salt Aerosol Parameterizations in Global Models Using Nudged UKESM1‐AMIP Simulations

A Review of Laboratory Studies on the Heterogeneous Chemistry of NO2: Mechanisms and Uptake Kinetics.

NO2 is a significant primary atmospheric pollutant that plays a key role in atmospheric chemistry. It serves as a crucial precursor to photochemical smog, acid rain, and secondary particulate matter and is instrumental in determining the atmospheric oxidation capacity. In this review, we focus on the heterogeneous chemistry of NO2, which has been demonstrated to significantly influence the sources and sinks of various nitrogen-containing species through field measurements and model simulations. We provide a comprehensive summary of laboratory studies investigating the reaction mechanisms and uptake kinetics of NO2 in heterogeneous reactions. NO2 can undergo disproportionation reactions on atmospheric particles. For instance, it may hydrolyze on wetted surfaces to form HONO and HNO3, produce nitrate and NO on mineral dust, or generate nitrate and NOCl on sea salt. Additionally, NO2 can be reduced to HONO on soot and Fe-bearing minerals or photocatalytically reduced to HONO and NO on photosensitive components. Furthermore, NO2 can be photo-oxidized to nitrate or N2O5 on illuminated TiO2. In addition, the synergistic effect of the heterogeneous reactions between NO2 and SO2 is discussed. The uptake coefficients of NO2 on typical particles and the factors influencing these coefficients are also summarized. Finally, based on the current insufficient understanding of heterogeneous reactions of NO2, we propose prospects for future research.

Improved Mechanistic Modeling on Reproducing Particle-Bound Mercury in the Marine Atmosphere.

Mercury (Hg) is a neurotoxic pollutant that is ubiquitous on the planet and receives global concern because of its adverse health effects. Particle-bound HgP formation in the atmosphere stems mainly from the adsorption of reactive gaseous HgII on aerosol particles, particularly sea salt aerosol. However, the observed comparable abundance of HgP over HgII in the marine atmosphere has not been reproduced by traditional statistics-based schemes, which were constructed by continental observations. This study incorporated an improved mechanistic scheme in an atmospheric chemical transport model to simulate SSA-bound HgP cycling processes in the marine atmosphere. Results show that a widely used statistics-based scheme could reproduce atmospheric HgP concentrations over continents but failed to reproduce the concentrations over the ocean. The HgP concentrations particularly relative abundance of HgP over HgII in the marine atmosphere could be successfully reproduced by the process-based scheme. Accordingly, a new global atmospheric Hg cycling budget was constructed, manifesting mainly in the atmospheric burden of 4 Mg, dry deposition of 160 Mg yr-1, and wet deposition of 1410 Mg yr-1 for SSA-bound HgP. The new insight on the global atmospheric Hg budget sheds light on the re-examination of Hg deposition risks in the ocean owing to a transition from previously recognized gaseous HgII deposition to unrecognized particulate HgP deposition over the ocean.

Spatio-temporal analysis of extreme air pollution and risk assessment.

Extreme air pollution poses global health and environmental threats, necessitating robust policy interventions. This study first analyses the surface mass concentration of major aerosols (such as black carbon, organic carbon, dust, sea salts, and sulphates) to estimate global PM2.5 concentrations from 1980 to 2023. The developed model-estimated PM2.5 database was validated against data from 526 cities worldwide, showing strong accuracy, with RMSE, r, and R2 values of 7.47μg/m³, 0.87, and 0.75, respectively. The motivation arises from the need to understand whether recent pollution increases are driven by rising emissions or natural variability, given the significant impacts on life and property. To assess both short-and long-term pollution trends, magnitudes, and risks, we proposed twelve novel extreme pollution indices, which comprehensively characterize the spatial and temporal variations in pollution. The highest PM2.5 concentrations were observed in regions near the Saharan Desert, reaching up to 90,000μg/m³. However, significant PM2.5TOT (total pollution) concentrations were also found in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and eastern China, ranging from 20,000 to 40,000μg/m³. Persistent pollution burdens North Africa for approximately 350 days annually, while the IGP and eastern China experience extreme pollution for over 200 days yearly. Other pollution indices highlight the intensity and frequency of pollution in regions such as North Africa, IGP, Eastern Russia, Western USA, and Eastern China, revealing critical regional air quality challenges. Our analysis identifies cities in low-income and middle-income countries, such as New Delhi, Lahore, Dhaka, and Dammam, as being at extreme risk scores above 90 out of 100. Meanwhile, cities like Ghaziabad, Chongqing, Kolkata, Mumbai, and East London fall into the high-risk category, scoring between 60 and 80. Conversely, most cities in the EU, USA, and Canada are at very low risk, a result of the effective implementation of strategic air pollution norms and policies. The study promotes a phased approach for low- and middle-income regions, emphasizing achievable air quality standards, low-cost monitoring, targeted interventions, urban greening, public awareness, and innovative financing for improvements.

Source-dependent absorption Ångström exponent in the Los Angeles Basin: Multi-time resolution factor analyses of ambient PM2.5 and aerosol optical absorption.

Advanced receptor models can leverage the information derived from optical and chemical variables as input by a variety of instruments at different time resolutions to extract the source specific absorption Ångström exponent (AAE) from aerosol absorption. The multilinear engine (ME-2), a Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) solver, serves as a proficient tool for performing such analyses, thereby overcoming the constraints imposed by the assumptions in current optical source apportionment methods such as the Aethalometer approach since the use of a-priori AAE values introduces additional uncertainty into the results of optical methods. Comprehensive PM2.5 chemical speciation datasets, and aerosol absorption coefficients (babs, λ) at seven wavelengths measured by an Aethalometer (AE33), were used in multi-time source apportionment (MT-PMF). The study focused on two locations in the Los Angeles (LA) Basin: Central LA (CELA, Main St.), an urban area surrounded by major freeways, and Rubidoux (RIVR), a residential area surrounded by local roads. Factor profiles and temporal variations of their contributions were obtained. Additionally, factor displacements (DISP) and profile constraints were applied. Five-factor solutions were obtained at both sites. At CELA, the resolved factors included traffic + crustal matter (traffic+ Cr_M), secondary sulfate + nitrate (SSN), biomass burning (BB), diesel emissions (DIE) and aged sea salt (ASS). Moreover, source-dependent AAE values at CELA were obtained without a-priori assumption, with values of 1.46 for traffic+ Cr_M, 1.45 for DIE and 2.37 for BB. At RIVR, the resolved factors were traffic+ Cr_M (AAE=1.24), particulate sulfate, particulate nitrate, BB (AAE=3.00) and aged sea salt. PM2.5 composition differed at both locations. SSN accounted for the largest fraction of the ambient PM2.5 mass concentration, their sum at the CELA site averaged 40% of the PM2.5 mass while the same species represented 77% at RIVR.

Mechanisms of using NaCl-CaCl2 molten solar salts in enhancing the integrated CO2 capture and utilization via reverse water gas shift (ICCU-RWGS) process with CaO alone

Mechanisms of using NaCl-CaCl2 molten solar salts in enhancing the integrated CO2 capture and utilization via reverse water gas shift (ICCU-RWGS) process with CaO alone

PEMBERDAYAAN PETANI GARAM DI DESA LAM UJONG MELALUI TRANSFER TEKNOLOGI PEMBUATAN GARAM SPA DAN SABUN CAIR

Lam Ujong Village is one of the villages in the Baitussalam sub-district of Aceh Besar Regency. The majority of people in this coastal area work as salt farmers to support their livelihoods. Despite the abundant salt production, it has not significantly increased the community's income, as salt processing is limited to selling salt directly to consumers. Processing sea salt into creative, economically valuable products has not been pursued due to a lack of innovation and skills. Sea salt is rich in minerals with great potential to be utilized as a key raw material in producing spa salts and liquid soap. This community service activity will be conducted in Lam Ujong Village in 2024, in partnership with a group of salt farmers. The project will be carried out in three stages: pre-activities (socialization and initial preparation for educational activities), main activities (training and technical guidance on producing environmentally friendly spa salt and liquid soap), and post-activities (evaluation of results).The program results demonstrated a significant improvement in the technical skills and understanding of salt farmers regarding the production process of spa salts and liquid soap. This success highlights that well-targeted technology transfer can be a key driver in the economic transformation of local communities while promoting more sustainable natural resource management. Key Word: Blue economy, Spa Salt, Liquid Soap, Salt Farmers

Study on the effect of solar salt thermal decomposition reaction on internal and external characteristics of molten salt pump

Solar salt is the main heat storage medium for concentrated solar power plants. It will undergo thermal decomposition reactions to produce gas when the temperature is higher than 450°C. So that the thermal decomposition bubbles of solar salt are free in the molten salt pump flow channel, which have serious impacts on the internal and external characteristics of the molten salt pump. This paper takes the 16ENH-2 high-temperature molten salt pump as the research object. Based on the thermal decomposition mechanism of solar salt, we studied the influence of different thermal decomposition gas generation rates and different flow rates on the bubble coalescence and breakage phenomenon in the flow channel, and the influence mechanism on the internal and external characteristics of the molten salt pump. The research results show that the thermal decomposition gas generation rate is the key factor affecting the gas content in the first stage impeller and the bubble size distribution in the second stage impeller. The flow rate is the key factor affecting the gas phase distribution position in the first/second stage impeller and the bubble size distribution in the first stage impeller. The bubble coalescence within the first stage impeller is the main reason for the pump performance degradation. The research results can provide theoretical guidance for the efficient and stable operation of the molten salt pump.

Ion Effects on Terahertz Spectra of Microsolvated Clusters.

Water clusters containing Na+ and Cl- ions play a key role in the atmospheric chemistry of sea salt aerosols. While Na+ is clearly buried deep inside, Cl- appears to be a chameleon since evidence for both surface-localized and interior solvation states are reported. Thus, disclosing the preferred location of Cl- within clusters remains challenging. Here, we investigate whether THz spectroscopy, a powerful tool for directly probing hydrogen bonds in water, provides insights into the location of Cl- ions in water clusters. We performed ab initio molecular dynamics simulations on water clusters containing a single Cl- ion and up to 64 water molecules to compute the THz spectra with reference to Na+ and bulk. The THz spectrum of the 64-water Cl- cluster closely agrees with that of the bulk solution. Surprisingly, this match is not caused by bulk-like solvation of Cl- as suggested by phenomenological line shape analyses. Instead, the similarity stems from Cl- being mostly located at the cluster surface, thus leaving the water-water interactions largely unperturbed.

Measurement of surface tension and contact angle of solar salt at high temperature with axisymmetric drop-shape analysis

As interfacial properties of common materials enabled many practical applications, those for molten salts would do the same. While their properties are important for the safety and design of thermal energy storage and modular nuclear reactors, they are hard to obtain because of the measurements done in confined spaces inside a furnace at high temperatures. Moreover, a small amount is preferred due to the high cost of salts. To overcome these limitations, an accurate method to measure surface tension, γ, and contact angles, θ, of molten salts were sought. As a steppingstone toward using more complex salts, solar salt was used because of safety and availability. Because molten salts typically show low θ, they provide large errors by incorrectly predicting volume and/or geometry. Therefore, various solid materials on which solar salts show high θ were sought and boron nitride was identified to provide θ > 60°. Later, solar salt sessile droplets were analyzed with the axisymmetric drop-shape analysis (ADSA) method to measure γ over a temperature range, which showed a good agreement with literature. Thus, this paper sets an experimental protocol that can be possibly used for other complex and hazardous salts that are scarcer and hard to handle. This paper extends the current knowledge by identifying solid surfaces on which the salts show low wettability for accurate measurements. Compared to other accurate methods, such as maximum bubble pressure method, this method used a small amount of salt (< 100 μL) while keeping a high accuracy.

Spatial and Seasonal Variability of Remote and Urban Speciated Fine Particulate Matter in the United States.

The spatial and seasonal variability in the composition of major PM2.5 (particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5μm) aerosol species in the United States were characterized using data from ground-based aerosol monitoring networks. The IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) network and the Chemical Speciation Network (CSN) operate in mostly rural/remote or urban/suburban sites, respectively. The networks have similar sampling schedules and analysis methods. Regional, monthly, and annual mean concentrations from 2019 to 2022 were calculated for ammonium sulfate (AS), ammonium nitrate (AN), particulate organic matter (POM), elemental carbon (EC), fine dust (FD), and sea salt (SS), as well as their relative contributions to reconstructed PM2.5 mass (RCFM). Organic aerosols were the largest contributor to RCFM across the United States (>40% annually, up to 80% monthly), with significant impacts from biomass smoke on POM and EC concentrations, contributions, and seasonality. AS concentrations and contributions were similar in urban and rural regions and contributed <20% annually to RCFM, considerably less than two decades ago. In general, urban concentrations were greater for AN, POM, and EC, suggesting additional urban sources. Some species, such as POM, FD, and AN, exhibited strong seasonal variability due to episodic source impacts or seasonal formation conditions. Evaluating the urban and rural monthly variability of major aerosol species is necessary for understanding the impacts of emission sources, regional transport, and atmospheric processes governing aerosol concentrations in the atmosphere.

Речное и морское судоходство в Бохае

Bohai State (698–926) stretched across a large territory and included the South-East Manchuria (People’s Republic of China), North Korean Peninsula (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and South-West Primorsky Territory (Russia). Written sources maintain little data on river-faring and sea navigation of Bohai people. Only archaeological data can help directly or indirectly describe one of the key fields of Bohai economy. The assessed nature conditions and climate allow to acknowledge the region in question as a favourable one for utilizing sea and river routes and resources. Chinese and Japanese chronicles tell about diplomatic relations between Bohai people and their neighbors, about numerous embassies Bohai people exchanged with the Tang-Dynasty China and Japan. Bohai people travelled to states in the Korean Peninsula including sea states. There are parted tangible remains of such exchanges that were not just political, but also economic. Locals actively utilized biological resources of the water bodies (fish, sea and freshwater mussels, sea salt, pearls, marine mammals, seaweed, etc.). One of the essential sea ports and administrative centres was Yanzhou district of the Capital province (Kraskinskoye walled town). It was a hub for local and international trade and served as the ‘sea gate’ of Bohai. It has been studied by many Russian archaeologists for decades.

Low-Temperature Slurry Aluminizing: Investigating the Influence of Aluminizing Time on the Corrosion Performance of Aluminide Coating on 304 SS

Abstract The surface of austenitic stainless steel (304 SS) was modified with aluminium and alumina powders using a slurry aluminizing route to enhance its lifespan at high temperatures. The substrate was subjected to low heat treatment temperature (680°C) at various aluminizing times (4, 6, 8, and 10 hours). The corrosion resistance of the aluminide coating was evaluated by exposing them to a mixture of molten solar salt containing 60 wt.% NaNO3 and 40 wt.% KNO3 at 600°C for 100 hours. The coatings were characterized using FESEM, EDX, and XRD. Coating thickness, hardness, multi-layered phases, and corrosion products were determined before and after corrosion. The results indicated that a dense and continuous inner layer made up of FeAl-based intermetallic improved the corrosion resistance of 304SS. Coating thickness increased with increasing aluminizing time, with a maximum thickness of 75.12 µm observed for samples with 10 hours of aluminizing. The highest coating hardness of 1060 HV was observed on Fe2Al5 of aluminide layer heat treated at 10 hours. The corrosion product found on the aluminide layer was NaAlO2 and the sample heat treated for 6 hours exhibited the lowest corrosion rate of 0.21 mm/year.

Kinetic and Thermodynamic Aspects of the Degradation of Ferritic Steels Immersed in Solar Salt.

The study and improvement of the corrosion resistance of materials used in concentrated solar power plants is a permanent field of research. This involves determining their chemical stability when in contact with heat transfer fluids, such as molten nitrate salts. Various studies indicate an improvement in the corrosion resistance of iron-based alloys with the incorporation of elements that show high reactivity and solubility in molten nitrate salts, such as Cr and Mo. This study analyzes the kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the beginning of the corrosion process of ferritic steels immersed in Solar Salt at 400, 500, and 600 °C. The analysis of the kinetic data using the Arrhenius equation and the Transition State Theory shows that an increase in the Cr/Mo ratio reduces the activation energy, the standard formation enthalpy, and the standard formation entropy. This indicates that its incorporation favors the degradation of steel; however, the results show a reduction in the corrosion rate. This effect is possible due to a synergistic effect by the formation of insoluble Fe-oxide layers that favor the formation of a Cr oxide layer at the Fe-oxide-metal interface, which limits the subsequent oxidation of Fe.