Tellurium is used in alloys, such as steel and copper, to improve machinability. Tellurium is also used in solar panels, semiconductor material, and for coloring glass.
I've linked my source below.
Some thorium uses:
- fertile material (as ThO2) in nuclear power reactors; is a precursor of the fissile isotope 233U.
- thorium dioxide can be used as refractory material for crucibles, tubes, rods, etc.
- thorium tetrafluoride (ThF4) is used as anti-reflection coating in optics.
- gas mantles (as ThO2)
- alloying metal for some aviation components (magnesium-thorium alloy); also for welding alloys wolfram-thorium
- additive (as ThO2) in wolfram filaments - to stop crystalline growth of W and to increase time of use of light bulbs
- catalyst in organic chemistry (as ThO2)
- additive for special glass (as ThO2)
- additive in filaments (as ThO2) of magnetron tubes
- etc.
Telluriumâ??s primary use is as an alloying agent. It is added to copper and stainless steel, in small amounts, to make them easier to machine and mill. Tellurium is also added to lead to increase its strength and resistance to sulfuric acid. Further, tellurium is a semiconductor frequently doped with copper, tin, gold or silver. Lastly, tellurium is used to color glass and ceramics and is one of the primary ingredients in blasting caps.
Tellurium is a by product of copper and lead and is also used to color ceramics
Tellurium is used as a base or a basic ingredient for some processing and products. A couple of things it can do are control chill and help decrease lead's sulfuric acid corrosion.
Hazards and Health Considerations: Thorium presents both a toxic and radiological hazard. Toxicologically, it causes heavy metal poisoning similar to lead or the uranium isotopes. Biologically, thorium accumulates in the skeletal system where it has a biological half-life of 200 years, the same as plutonium. An M 17 protective mask and standard anti-contamination clothing will adequately protect against thorium.
Thorium is a metal element. There are 90 electrons in a single atom.
Thorium itself is not a fuel, it does not emit energy. However if it is irradiated in a reactor it forms uranium233 which is a fissile isotope of uranium. Therefore potentially thorium can be used to breed fissile fuel. There are issues around reprocessing however which have not been tackled because the incentive is not there whilst uranium235 is available. Thorium might become important in the future, or for a country which has thorium but not uranium. See link below
Alpha particles but also electrons and gamma radiations (Th 232).
90 in ground state
Thorium hasn't medical uses.
History is written by the victors.
Thorium-229 is used as raw material to produce Ac-225 and Bi-213, isotopes with medicinal uses.
O: Thorium oxide, ThO2 - many important uses, see the link F: Thorium tetrafluoride, ThF4 - used as antireflection layer in optics C: Thorium carbide, ThC - used as nuclear fuel
Common compounds of thorium: thorium dioxide, thorium trifluoride, thorium tetrafluoride, thorium tetrachloride, thorium triiodide, thorium diiodide, thorium tetraiodide, thorium nitrate, thorium oxalate, thorium carbide, thorium sulfides, thorium nitride, thorium oxinate, etc.
Some thorium uses: - fertile material (as ThO2) in nuclear power reactors; is a precursor of the fissile isotope 233U. - thorium dioxide can be used as refractory material for crucibles, tubes, rods, etc. - thorium tetrafluoride (ThF4) is used as anti-reflection coating in optics. - gas mantles (as ThO2) - alloying metal for some aviation components (magnesium-thorium alloy, magnesium-zinc-thorium); also for welding alloys wolfram-thorium - additive (as ThO2) in wolfram filaments - to stop crystalline growth of W and to increase time of use of light bulbs - catalyst in organic chemistry (as ThO2) - additive for special glass (as ThO2) - additive in filaments (as ThO2) of magnetron tubes - reagent in chemistry laboratories (as thorium nitrate) - etc.
Some thorium uses:- fertile material (as ThO2) in nuclear power reactors; is a precursor of the fissile isotope 233U.- thorium dioxide can be used as refractory material for crucibles, tubes, rods, etc.- thorium tetrafluoride (ThF4) is used as anti-reflection coating in optics.- gas mantles (as ThO2)- alloying metal for some aviation components (magnesium-thorium alloy, magnesium-zinc-thorium); also for welding alloys wolfram-thorium- additive (as ThO2) in wolfram filaments - to stop crystalline growth of W and to increase time of use of light bulbs- catalyst in organic chemistry (as ThO2)- additive for special glass (as ThO2)- additive in filaments (as ThO2) of magnetron tubes, vacuum tubes - reagent in chemistry laboratories (as thorium nitrate)- etc.
Some thorium uses:- fertile material (as ThO2) in nuclear power reactors; is a precursor of the fissile isotope 233U.- thorium dioxide can be used as refractory material for crucibles, tubes, rods, etc.- thorium tetrafluoride (ThF4) is used as anti-reflection coating in optics.- gas mantles (as ThO2)- alloying metal for some aviation components (magnesium-thorium alloy, magnesium-zinc-thorium); also for welding alloys wolfram-thorium- additive (as ThO2) in wolfram filaments - to stop crystalline growth of W and to increase time of use of light bulbs- catalyst in organic chemistry (as ThO2)- additive for special glass (as ThO2)- additive in filaments (as ThO2) of magnetron tubes, vacuum tubes - reagent in chemistry laboratories (as thorium nitrate)- etc.
Some thorium uses: - fertile material (as ThO2) in nuclear power reactors; is a precursor of the fissile isotope 233U. - thorium dioxide can be used as refractory material for crucibles, tubes, rods, etc. - thorium tetrafluoride (ThF4) is used as anti-reflection coating in optics. - gas mantles (as ThO2) - alloying metal for some aviation components (magnesium-thorium alloy, magnesium-zinc-thorium); also for welding alloys wolfram-thorium - additive (as ThO2) in wolfram filaments - to stop crystalline growth of W and to increase time of use of light bulbs - catalyst in organic chemistry (as ThO2) - additive for special glass (as ThO2) - additive in filaments (as ThO2) of magnetron tubes - reagent in chemistry laboratories (as thorium nitrate) - etc.
Its uses include refractory applications, lamp mantles and lighting, and welding electrodes.
Hazards and Health Considerations: Thorium presents both a toxic and radiological hazard. Toxicologically, it causes heavy metal poisoning similar to lead or the uranium isotopes. Biologically, thorium accumulates in the skeletal system where it has a biological half-life of 200 years, the same as plutonium. An M 17 protective mask and standard anti-contamination clothing will adequately protect against thorium.
Thorium and fluorine Thorium trifluoride - ThF3 Thorium tetrafluoride - ThF4