What on earth is "thorium" ???

[dixiegrrrrl]

and why thorium reactors?


Today in Congress:
Rep. Joe Sestak introduced H.R. 2015: To instruct the Secretary of Energy to carry out a study on the use of thorium-fueled nuclear reactors.

[Turbineguy]

1. Tom Lehrer

mentions it along with Thulium and Thalium in "the Elements".

[TheManInTheMac]

13. I thought of the same song...

Loves me some Tom Lehrer.

[phantom power]

2. It's an element that can be bred into nuclear fuel inside a reactor.

Adopting a nuclear fuel cycle that involves breeding thorium would effectively multiply our nuclear fuel resources by an enormous amount.

[Ian David]

3. It's to protect us from flesh-eating (classified).

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/proposed_classified_bill_will

[Cirque du So-What]

4. It's a slightly radioactive metal

that has been suggested as a possible replacement for uranium in reactors. It produces less transuranic waste than uranium.

[MikeH]

5. Thorium is a chemical element

Thorium is a chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. As a naturally occurring, slightly radioactive metal (with a half-life of 1.405×10^10 years, or 14.05 billion years), it has been considered as an alternative nuclear fuel to uranium.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Thank you all..my brain feels bigger already.

[TheCoxwain]

7. Thorium can be bombarded with neutron to get a Uranium Isotope that can be used as fuel

in a nuclear reator. ( Throrium Fuel Cycle) .

the advantage is that Thorium is plentiful on earth ( India, Australia) unlike Uranium which is very limited.

The disadvantage is - you still need a stable neutron source ( Thorium is not and cannot sustain itself) .. so you still need a plutonium or a U-238 to seed the reactor.

[hunter]

8. In many places thorium could be extracted from existing mine tailings.

It's found in early tin mine tailings, rare earth mine tailings, phosphate mine tailings and uranium mine tailings.

[gmoney]

9. "You're Thor?..."

"I couldn't thit down for a week!"

[FarCenter]

10. The thorium fuel cycle produces minmal plutonium, aids non-proliferation of atomic weapons

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium_fuel_cycle

[jmowreader]

11. It's really bad if you mix it with cobalt...

if you salt a nuclear bomb with cobalt-thorium-G it will produce a doomsday shroud which will encircle the earth for 93 years!

[Speck Tater]

12. THor is the god of thunder, so it's kinda like thunderinium, but not quite as loud. nt.

[LynneSin]

14. I also believe that Peach-Bottom Nuclear Power Plant is in Sestak's district

hence his interest in Thorium