Q&A ยท 3:02:21-3:03:00

The Alfa submarine's liquid-metal reactor coolant

A reactor follow-up corrects an initial suggestion of molten sodium while retaining uncertainty about the precise coolant identification.

Question

Did the Alfa-class submarines use molten sodium in their reactors?

Short answer

They used liquid-metal cooling; lead-bismuth is tentatively recalled as the coolant for both reactor types.

Notes

The initial question suggests molten sodium. The reply recalls two different reactor types and tentatively identifies both as lead-bismuth cooled. The liquid-metal classification is more definite than the recollection of the precise coolant.