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.
90 in ground state
Thorium 230 is an alpha emitter with half life 75,380 years. Therefore it is dangerous if ingested. Alpha particles don't penetrate the skin, so it would not be dangerous to handle carefully, but if ingested alpha particles can damage internal organs. Thorium 234 is a beta emitter with half life 24.1 days. So 230 is the more dangerous.
Thorium is not commonly used as a primary source of energy because the technology for thorium-based nuclear reactors is not as developed or widely available as traditional uranium-based reactors. Additionally, there are regulatory and economic challenges that have hindered the widespread adoption of thorium as a primary energy source.
The nuclear binding energy for thorium-234 is approximately 8.5 million electron volts (MeV).
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.
The only common thorium oxide formula is ThO2.
The common minerals of thorium are: monazite, thorianite, thorite.
Thorium carbide is a systematic unique name in chemistry.
+4 is the most common and the most stable oxidation number
Sulfur is of course more common.
Thorium, with the chemical symbol Th, is the chemical element with the atomic number 90.
Thorium and fluorine Thorium trifluoride - ThF3 Thorium tetrafluoride - ThF4
Thorium is relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, more so than uranium. However, it is not as commonly used as uranium in nuclear reactors due to technological and economic reasons. Research is ongoing to explore thorium as a potentially more efficient and safer alternative to uranium for nuclear energy production.
Thorium is a natural, radioactive, chemical element; chemically, thorium is homogeneous.
Also thorium.
The chemical symbol of thorium is Th.