Thorium is a weakly radioactive metal that occurs naturally in rocks. It is currently rarely used in industry. It is a by-product of the growing rare earth mining industry in China. It is therefore a very interesting alternative to uranium.
Does the US have a thorium reactor?
One advantage of thorium fuel is its low weaponization potential; it is difficult to weaponize the uranium-233/232 and plutonium-238 isotopes that are largely consumed in thorium reactors….World sources of thorium.
| Country | Tons | % |
|---|---|---|
| US | 400,000 | 15.3% |
| Turkey | 344,000 | 13.2% |
| India | 319,000 | 12.2% |
| Brazil | 302,000 | 11.6% |
Is China building a thorium reactor?
China built the thorium reactor in the Gobi Desert near the city of Wuwei in August, and now that construction has wrapped, it expects to begin testing the device before the end of September. If the prototype works as hoped, China already has plans to build a commercial version of the plant by 2030.
Where is thorium found in the US?
More than 200 thorium-rich veins in the Beaverhead Mountains form the Lemhi Pass district, Idaho and Montana. This district is thought to contain the largest concentration of thorium resources in the United States and is the site of renewed thorium exploration activity.
Is thorium a rare earth metal?
Rare earth elements, known as lanthanides and actinides on the periodic table, include 15 chemical elements with atomic numbers 57 through 71. Rare earth minerals are processed primarily from ores and minerals that naturally contain uranium and thorium.
Is thorium better than uranium?
Nuclear Power – Why Thorium Is Much Better Than Uranium. Uranium is what has been used in power plants since the 1950’s, not long after Albert Einstein formulated E=mc^2, which proved the tremendous power and potential in harnessing nuclear energy.
What is thorium commonly used for?
Thorium is also used to coat tungsten filaments used in electronic devices, such at television sets. When bombarded with neutrons, thorium-232 becomes thorium-233, which eventually decays into uranium-233 through a series of beta decays. Uranium-233 is a fissionable material and can be used as a nuclear fuel.
Is thorium the nuclear fuel of the future?
Thorium backed as a ‘future fuel’. If thorium ever makes it as a commercial nuclear fuel, uranium may be seen as a massive and costly diversion. Some supporters of thorium believe that it was bypassed in the past because governments wanted the plutonium from certain conventional reactors to make atomic bombs.
Why should we use thorium?
Thorium is used as an alloying agent to improve magnesium’s strength at high temperatures. Thorium is also used to coat tungsten filaments used in electronic devices, such at television sets.
