Interaction of Tellurium with Molybdenum in Molten Halides

Abstract—Molybdenum and molybdenum-containing alloys are used as structural materials in various high-temperature processes, including the operation of molten-salt reactors and pyrochemical technologies of processing spent nuclear fuel from fast neutron reactors. Tellurium is a fission product, which actively interacts with structural materials. The aim of this work is to determine the thermodynamic characteristics of tellurium–molybdenum alloys. For this purpose, the potential differences between molybdenum and molybdenum–tellurium alloys of various compositions are determined. The potentials are compared to the Mo–Te phase diagram, and the thermodynamic characteristics of the formed compounds are calculated. The activity of molybdenum in the alloys and the change in the Gibbs free energy of formation of the Mo₃Te₄ and α‑MoTe₂ intermetallics at 500 and 600°C are determined.