Thorium By Tom Chinick

What Is Thorium A natural, radioactive metal discovered in Named after Thor. Is found in most rocks and soils, 3 times more common than uranium. Used in “light bulb elements, lantern mantles, arc-light lamps, welding electrodes and heat-resistant ceramics.”

More Stats Soil contains an average of 6 parts per million of thorium. Most common source of thorium is in the mineral monazite, found in igneous rocks. Contains 6-7% thorium. Estimated that Australia has the highest percentage of world’s thorium, with 19% or 489,000 tons. US close behind with 15%.

Nuclear properties Not fissile (cannot sustain a nuclear fission reaction) Is fertile (will “transmute” to uranium- 233, a great fissile material). Uranium breeding With specific formations and structures, thorium can be transformed into an extremely high-yield source of nuclear energy.

History of Thorium First reactions were tested in 1942 in Chicago. A series of reactors were experimented with through the next few decades. Thorium research in the US was cancelled in 1974 due to political agendas.

Cancellation It’s much more difficult to retrieve weapons-grade uranium from thorium reactions. Political issues with the Nixon administration. Companies invested in uranium had interests in maintaining standard uranium reactors.

Why Should it be used? According to the Thorium Energy Alliance, there’s enough thorium to power the US for 1000 years (at least). Thorium produces 10 to 10,000 times less “long-lived” radioactive waste. Thorium has to absorb neutrons in order to maintain its fission reaction. Fission automatically stops. (SAFE)

What’s the Future? There is gradually more funding for thorium reactor in Texas will have a primary fuel of thorium. Other countries are already researching thorium.