Overview
thorium
Quick Reference
Symbol Th. A grey radioactive metallic element belonging to the actinoids; a.n. 90; r.a.m. 232.038; r.d. 11.5–11.9 (17°C); m.p. 1740–1760°C; b.p. 4780–4800°C. It occurs in monazite sand in Brazil, India, and USA. The isotopes of thorium have mass numbers from 223 to 234 inclusive; the most stable isotope, thorium–232, has a half-life of 1.39×1010 years. It has an oxidation state of (+4) and its chemistry resembles that of the other actinoids. It can be used as a nuclear fuel for breeder reactors as thorium–232 captures slow neutrons to breed uranium–233. Thorium dioxide (thoria, ThO2) is used on gas mantles and in special refractories. The element was discovered by J. J. Berzelius in 1829.
http://www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Th/key.htm Information from the WebElements site
From: thorium in A Dictionary of Chemistry »
