Nano Nuclear Energy (NNE) said Tuesday it launched a two-year research collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering to study the behavior of nitrate molten salts under irradiation.

The company said it would fund the $500,000+ project to assess 'solar salts' thermal and radiolytic stability for use in advanced nuclear systems, including thermal energy storage and cooling in microreactors.

Research will be led by Prof. Koroush Shirvan and use Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Gammacell 220F Co-60 irradiator and advanced diagnostics, the company said, adding that the findings may have broader applications in clean energy, including industrial process heat and off-grid energy storage.

It added that the project is set to conclude in 2027, with quarterly updates and final results shared between MIT and Nano Nuclear.