Our future may be hidden in the thorium element. Humanity should not pay more for energy.
Thorium (Th) is a chemical element and a valuable element belonging to the actinides group with atomic number 90 in the periodic table. What is its shape and color? It is a silvery-white, radioactive and metallic element. However, it attracts a lot of attention due to some special features and potential uses.
Can Thorium’s Properties Save the World?
- Can Be Found in Nature: Thorium is an abundant element on Earth and is often found in monazite sands. It is naturally radioactive.
- Radioactivity: The naturally occurring isotope of Th , Th-232, is slightly radioactive and has a very long half-life (about 14 billion years). This makes it more stable.
- Energy Potential is impressive: Th has the potential to be used in nuclear energy production. In particular, the idea of ”thorium-fueled nuclear reactors” has been talked about for a long time. Also, it does not leave any nuclear waste.
Areas of Use of Thorium:
- Nuclear energy:
- Thorium Reactors: Unlike uranium, thorium does not produce energy by direct fission. However, when bombarded with neutrons in a nuclear reactor, it turns into the U-233 isotope. This isotope is a highly efficient fission material for energy production. Thorium-fueled reactors may be safer and have the potential to produce less waste than traditional uranium reactors.
- Waste Management: Radioactive waste produced in thorium reactors has a shorter half-life than uranium or plutonium reactors. This can also reduce long-term storage problems and be more beneficial to people.
- Light Water Reactors: It is thought that Th can be used compatible with the existing nuclear energy infrastructure. In other words, energy can be produced with Th in existing uranium-based reactors. This is a great thing.
- High Efficiency: Thorium resources are more abundant than uranium, and the same amount of Th can produce more energy than uranium. It is such a valuable element. What else is the world waiting for?
Advantages of Thorium:
- Produces Less Nuclear Waste: Thorium reactors produce smaller amounts of and shorter-lived nuclear waste. I think this is the most impressive part, because our world needs this.
- Low Proliferation Risk: The use of Th does not produce material (plutonium) that can be used for nuclear weapons production. This could reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation. The world definitely needs this.
- Abundant Resources: Thorium is more common in the world than uranium. This is more important in terms of energy independence and sustainability.
Have you ever thought why Th is Still Not Common?
- Technological Developments: There is still not enough technological infrastructure and economic incentive for Th reactors. Although research on the use of Th has been ongoing for years, its widespread use has been delayed due to large investments in uranium-based energy systems.
- Politics and Economy: The nuclear energy sector worldwide is largely based on uranium. The introduction of Thorium requires the structural transformation of this sector. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a costly and time-consuming task.
What do you think will be the future of Thorium?
- Clean Energy: As global energy demand increases and the transition to clean energy sources accelerates, Th can play an important role, this is very true. Thanks to both low waste production and safe energy potential, we can consider it as a clean energy source for future generations.
- Studies: Countries around the world such as India are conducting intensive research on Th reactors. Because India is one of the countries with the highest Th reserves in the world. China is also carrying out serious work in this field. Türkiye is also the country with the most Th reserves in the world.
While Thorium offers a potential solution to the current energy crisis, it could be a notable alternative in terms of both sustainability and security.
