Due to their high operating temperatures, molten salts have
inherent risks. A particular hazard of molten salts is salt
ejection. Molten salt ejection over distances of 2 metres
may occur without warning during heat-up if the salt crust
breaks due to the thermal expansion of the already liquid
salt underneath. Thus, even at laboratory scale, salt ejection
can occur. However, the simple precaution of covering the
reactor with a lid prevents salt ejection beyond the confines
of the reactor.
Safety guidelines aimed at specific industrial operations
cannot capture all circumstances and certainly not laboratory
experiments. As a result, it is advisable to consult more than
one safety guideline to minimise the chances of missing
a particular hazard. Moreover, safety guidelines may not
explain the reasons for a recommendation, making the safety
implications of scaling down to a laboratory experiment more
challenging to assess.