thorium
/'θɔ:riəm/
Definition
- Noun:
- A chemical element: Thorium is a soft, silvery-white, tetravalent, radioactive metallic element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90.
- A power source: The isotope thorium-232 is used as a fuel in nuclear reactors.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Thorium is more abundant in the Earth's crust than uranium.
- Some advanced reactor designs aim to use thorium as a primary fuel.
Advanced Usage
"Thorium fuel cycle": A conceptual process for generating nuclear energy using thorium as the fertile material.
- Research into the thorium fuel cycle focuses on its potential safety benefits.
"Thorium reactor": A type of nuclear reactor that uses thorium in its fuel cycle.
- The development of a commercial thorium reactor is a long-term goal for some countries.
Variants and Related Words
Thorite (n): A rare mineral (thorium silicate) that is a principal source of thorium.
- The sample contained significant amounts of the mineral thorite.
Monazite (n): A phosphate mineral that is a common source of rare-earth elements and thorium.
- Thorium is often extracted from monazite sands.
Synonyms
- Element 90: Refers to thorium by its atomic number.
- Th: The chemical symbol for thorium.
Related Phrases
- "Thorium-based nuclear power": Electrical power generation using thorium as a nuclear fuel.
- Advocates highlight the potential of thorium-based nuclear power.
Related Terminology
- Fertile material: In nuclear science, a material that is not itself fissile but can be converted into a fissile material; thorium-232 is a fertile material.
- Thorium-232 is a fertile material that absorbs neutrons to become fissile uranium-233.
Noun
-
a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands
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