Editing Thorium Reactor Safety Features (section)

== Limitations and Remaining Challenges ==

LFTR and MSR designs are not without their own safety challenges:

* '''Fluoride salt chemistry''': Hot fluoride salts are highly corrosive to most metals, requiring specialised alloys (Hastelloy-N and advanced versions).
* '''Tritium production''': FLiBe salt produces tritium (a radioactive hydrogen isotope) that must be captured and managed.
* '''Radiation exposure of structural materials''': Continuous exposure to neutron radiation degrades graphite moderators and structural metals over time.
* '''Online reprocessing risk''': The chemical processing loop handles highly radioactive materials continuously, requiring robust engineered containment.

These are engineering challenges that ORNL identified and was working to solve — they are not regarded as fundamental barriers by most MSR researchers.