Posted on 07/23/2017 8:31:54 PM PDT by ak267
Thorium is an abundant material currently disposed of as waste. It is found in coal ash piles and mine tailings. A single Rare Earths mine could produce enough Thorium byproduct to power the entire planet.
To do so requires a very different nuclear reactor than the kinds we use today. Not one that uses solid fuel rods, but a reactor in which the fuel is kept in a liquid state. Not one that uses pressurized water as a coolant, but a reactor that uses extremely stable molten salts.
(Excerpt) Read more at youtube.com ...
The answer to the nuke weapon proliferation problem, as well.
Which is why Thorium isn't widely used.
It is superior to uranium in every way.
Except one.
It is much less inefficient when it comes to making weapons grade material.
All I can do is just shake my head.
Isn’t there research or even technology to replace silicone IC chips made from thorium instead?
haven’t heard much about that but I do know there are special welder’s rods made of ThorMag. ThorMag was also a popular item in the aerospace industry.
that is....before the EPA overreacted and had them stripped out.
Yep....”weapons grade” for that element is U232. Army fooled around with it for a while in the early 50’s. I think they did a few tests out in Nevada. Just didn’t work out.
U232 is a gamma emitter which required too many modifications and shielding....tended to screw up the bomb’s internal circuits and was too toxic to deal with.
In a LFTR reactor, U232 is screened out in the reactor’s waste separators (along with other waste materials). It’s then stored at a shielded waste center. As a side benefit, many of the waste materials can reprocessed into other items such as medical isotopes.
Trump's team can easily undo that blunder...
Could it be re-used as well as the “trigger” fuel for a thorium reactor?
Once upon a time (still within living memory), we needed one more than we needed the other. Now, at least (if I understand the process right), we can effectively reverse history, and use the one as fuel for the other.
“haven’t heard much about that but I do know there are special welder’s rods made of ThorMag. ThorMag was also a popular item in the aerospace industry.”
It is radioactive enough to be unnerving. I use a (thorium salt soaked) lantern mantle to test my Geiger counters. I would definitely not keep this material in my pocket.
good stuff. I pray the Trump team is on top of this.
BFLR
U233 is the fuel.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.