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thorium |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Thorium \Tho"ri*um\, n. [NL. See {Thorite}.] (Chem.) A metallic element found in certain rare minerals, as thorite, pyrochlore, monazite, etc., and isolated as an infusible gray metallic powder which burns in the air and forms thoria; -- formerly called also {thorinum}. Symbol Th Atomic weight 232.0. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: thorium n : a soft silvery-white tetravalent radioactive metallic element; isotope 232 is used as a power source in nuclear reactors; occurs in thorite and in monazite sands [syn: {Th}, {atomic number 90}] From Elements database 20001107 [elements]: thorium Symbol: Th Atomic number: 90 Atomic weight: 232.038 Grey radioactive metallic element. Belongs to actinoids Found in monazite sand in Brazil, India and the US Thorium-232 has a half-life of 1.39x10^10 years. Can be used as a nuclear fuel for breeder reactors. Thorium-232 captures slow {neutron}s and breeds uranium-233. Discovered by Jons J. Berzelius in 1829.
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