thorium [Th]

From Aaushi
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Introduction

Named for Thor, the god of thunder. Discovered in 1828 by Swedish chemist Jons Jakob Berzelius.

Occurrence

  • occurs combined in minerals, usually associated with rare-earth elements
  • primarily obtained from the minerals thorite & thorianite

Characteristics

  • silvery-white metal
  • weakly radioactive metallic element
    • much of the Earth's internal heat has been attributed to thorium & uranium decay
  • high melting point
  • powdered metal burns easily
  • pure metal resists corrosion but tarnishes in air when contaminated with its oxide

Uses

More general terms

Additional terms

References

  1. Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, Miriam- Webster Inc. Springfield, MA 1990
  2. Chemical & Engineering News, Sept 8, 2003

Database