Thorium

A riveting look at how an alternative source of energy is revoluntionising nuclear power, promising a safe and clean future for millions, and why thorium was sidelined at the height of the Cold War In this groundbreaking account of an energy revolution in the making, award-winning science writer Richard Martin introduces us to thorium, a radioactive element and alternative nuclear fuel that is far safer, cleaner, and more abundant than uranium. At the dawn of the Atomic Age, thorium and uranium seemed to be in close competition as the fuel of the future. Uranium, with its ability to undergo fission and produce explosive material for atomic weapons, won out over its more pacific sister element, relegating thorium to the dustbin of science. Now, as we grapple with the perils of nuclear energy and rogue atomic weapons, and mankind confronts the specter of global climate change, thorium is re-emerging as the overlooked energy source as a small group of activists and outsiders is working, with the help of Silicon Valley investors, to build a thorium-power industry. In the first book mainstream book to tackle these issues, Superfuel is a story of rediscovery of a long lost technology that has the power to transform the world's future, and the story of the pacifists, who were sidelined in favour of atomic weapon hawks, but who can wean us off our fossil-fuel addiction and avert the risk of nuclear meltdown for ever.

Thorium energy can help check CO2 and global warming, cut deadly air pollution, provide inexhaustible energy, and increase human prosperity. Our world is beset by global warming, pollution, resource conflicts, and energy poverty. Millions die from coal plant emissions. We war over mideast oil. Food supplies from sea and land are threatened. Developing nations' growth exacerbates the crises. Few nations will adopt carbon taxes or energy policies against their economic self-interests to reduce global CO2 emissions. Energy cheaper than coal will dissuade all nations from burning coal. Innovative thorium energy uses economic persuasion to end the pollution, to provide energy and prosperity to developing nations, and to create energy security for all people for all time. "This book presents a lucid explanation of the workings of thorium-based reactors. It is must reading for anyone interested in our energy future." Leon Cooper, Brown University physicist and 1972 Nobel laureate for superconductivity "As our energy future is essential I can strongly recommend the book for everybody interested in this most significant topic." George Olah, 1994 Nobel laureate for carbon chemistry

Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, Second Edition is a fully updated comprehensive reference on the latest advances in MSR research and technology. Building on the successful first edition, Tom Dolan and the team of experts have fully updated the content to reflect the impressive advances from the last 5 years, ensuring this book continues to be the go-to reference on the topic. This new edition covers progress made in MSR design, details innovative experiments, and includes molten salt data, corrosion studies and deployment plans. The successful case studies section of the first edition have been removed, expanded, and fully updated, and are now published in a companion title called Global Case Studies on Molten Salt Reactors. Readers will gain a deep understanding of the advantages and challenges of MSR development and thorium fuel use, as well as step-by-step guidance on the latest in MSR reactor design. Each chapter provides a clear introduction, covers technical issues and includes examples and conclusions, while promoting the sustainability benefits throughout. A fully updated comprehensive handbook on Molten Salt Reactors and Thorium Energy, written by a team of global experts Covers MSR applications, technical issues, reactor types and reactor designs Includes 3 brand new chapters which reflect the latest advances in research and technology since the first edition published Presents case studies on molten salt reactors which aid in the transition to net zero by providing abundant clean, safe energy to complement wind and solar powe

The present volume of the Gmelin thorium series describes the solid thorium-carbon compounds with the exception of the carbides and coordination compounds of the type 4 ThAn· X B, where B is a neutral ligand. The complex equilibria of the Th + ion with C-containing complexing agents are treated in the ThD1 volume. A first look into this volume demonstrates that a very large number of ThlV complexes has 4 been prepared. This may be explained by the fact that the Th + ion is the largest tetravalent ion of the periodic table. Therefore, the preparation of complexes with, e. g. , multidentate ligands can give a well-established picture of the coordination number as a function of charge and ionic radius. However, there are very few modern and updated comprehensive treatments of such data. Many compounds described in this volume are characterized by no other means than analytical composition and IR spectra (whereby IR spectra of organic ThlV salts mostly give information only on the ligand). Besides thorium carbonate and carbonato complexes, which are relevant for the environmental behaviour of this radioactive element and some organic complexes like oxalates, which are used in the field of analytical and separation chemistry nearly all other compounds described here are practically only of scientific interest. On the other hand in order to have scientifically reliable data, a very large part of these compounds needs further investigation and characterization.

International Series of Monographs on Analytical Chemistry, Volume 10: The Analytical Chemistry of Thorium focuses on the composition, properties, and reactions of thorium. The book first discusses the occurrence of thorium and its properties. Topics include the position of thorium in the periodic system; methods of preparation for metallic thorium; and radioactivity of thorium isotopes. The text surveys the chemical and physical methods in identifying thorium. Gravimetric and fluorescence methods; detection and estimation of thorium by spectroscopic and X-ray analysis; and colorimetric and spectrophotometric methods are discussed. The text also examines the methods of separating thorium from associated elements. The separation of thorium from rare earths, scandium, titanium, uranium, lead, alkali metals, gallium, and beryllium is underscored. The text also discusses the determination of thorium in natural and industrial materials. Regeneration of thorium from industrial waste; isolation of thorium from ores and minerals; and analysis of alloys containing thorium are explained. The book is a valuable source of data for students and chemists wanting to study thorium.

Thermal and neutron physics analysis show that above certain concentrations of the isotope Pu-238 hypothetical nuclear explosive devices, made of reactor-grade plutonium, are technically not feasible. Future proliferation-proof fuel cycles are proposed which make use of methods of actinide tansmutation.Reactors operating in the thorium/uranium fuel cyce are loaded with