Thorium--The New Nuclear?

by: Morganne Williams



Thorium is much more abundant in nature than uranium and can also be used to provide nuclear energy. India is the only country that sponsers major research on the use of thorium for nuclear energy. Thorium is a slightly radioactive material that was first discovered in 1828 by the Swedish chemist, Jons Jakob Berzelius, he origianally named it Thor after the Norse god of Thunder. It has been discoverd that Thorium can be used as a nuclear fuel like uranium and can be used in a closed fuel cycle. With more research maybe eventually we can use Thorium as a safer nuclear energy alternative to Uranium.





For more Information go to:

http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf62.html