Alex+Cotton-+Thorium

Thorium There are many reasons why thorium is an extremely valuable element to human beings. In 1828 the Reverend Has Morten Thrane Esmark found a dark mineral on the island of Lovo which is of the coast of Norway. The Reverend thought that it may contain an unknown element so he sent the mineral to a Swedish chemist by the name of Jöns Jacob Berzelius. Esmark was correct, and Berzelius decided to name the element Thorium after the old norse god of thunder.

Thorium has an atomic number of 90, its symbol is Th. Its atomic weight is 232.038, and its atomic mass is 232.0381. Thorium has seven energy levelsThorium is found in thorite (which is the mineral Esmark found), thorianite, and monazite. Thorium has a high melting point (2028 k), and a high boiling point (5060 k). Thorium has a silvery or gray color, and is radioactive. It is both malleable and ductile.

Thorium has many different uses that make it valuable. Ceramic glazes use Thorium because of it has certain coloring properties. Because thorium imparts strength and resistance to deformation caused by mechanical stresses (creep) it is often used as an alloy of elements used for aircraft engines. Thorium is used in gas tungsten arc welding to increase the tungsten’s melting temperature and improve arc stability. The decay and release of alpha particles by thorium can be used to date fossils. Thorium can be an effective radiation shield, but is not often used because led is just as effective. The fact that thorium has many different applications makes it a valuable mineral.

By far, thorium is most notable for the fact that it is can be fuel for a nuclear reactor, and has the potential to be more powerful and effectual than both uranium and plutonium. One reason for this is that thorium is one of the most abundant elements on earth,and is three times more plentiful than uranium. Thorium is also cleaner than the other potential sources of nuclear energy. The by products of thorium decay faster than that of uranium or plutonium which reduces the risk of damage to both humans and the environment. The only reason that uranium is used as fuel instead of thorium is that thorium must first be converted from thorium-233 to uranium-233; a process complicated by the fact that it has no spare neutrons that could be used for this reaction. Despite the fact that the use of Thorium would mean replacing or modifying all of the existing nuclear reactors most developed countries have looked into replacing their current nuclear and electrical institutions with thorium power. Both china and India already have thorium power plants and are working towards using thorium exclusively. Thor Energy, a company located in Norway, is doi ng research into the commercial use of thorium with funding from the Germany, Britain, and the U.S. Thorium has many applications, but the most impressive thing about it is that it is a plentiful, safe, and clean source of nuclear energy.

In conclusion, there are many reasons why thorium is a very marketable resource. Thorium is used in a variety of products. It is durable, and does not melt easily. It is so powerful that a handful of thorium could supply a person with enough energy for their entire life. Most importantly, it is in abundance and has been proven to be both safer and cleaner than any other power source.

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