A recent study identified Over 200 potential Torio reserves in various areas of China. According to experts in the national geological service, the esteemed quantities of this white-argento element could, at least theoretically, satisfy the energy needs of the entire country unlimitedly. The Torio in fact it is often indicated as one Alternative potential Futura allauranium, more efficient And cleanfor the production of nuclear energy through the fission to chain. One of the most significant advantages is his greater abundance In nature, where it is found in clay minerals, in soils and also in marine environments. Currently, the China It is probably among the most advanced nations in the research and development of technologies for the production of electricity starting from the Torio. To this is added a huge availability of toric resourceswidely distributed on the national territory, by Xinjiang up to the coastal region of Guangdong and overall mining of Bayan Obo in Internal Mongolia.
The Torio reserves in China
They have been identified at the moment 233 New areas potentially rich in Torio throughout China, distributed long Five main geological bandsfrom Xinjiang up to the coastal region of Guangdong. The study, which according to several sources would have ended in 2020, was recently declassified and published in the Chinese scientific journal Geological Review. The Torio would be in deposits of origin magmatic And hydrothermaloften associated with rare lands. Most of the identified areas would correspond to Former mineral sites dedicated to the draw of the ironand Torio’s reserves would be contained in the waste materials produced by those extractive activities.
In particular, the mining complex of Bayan Obeselocated in the autonomous region of the Internal Mongoliain the north of China, could contain Over 1 million tons of Torio. It is an extraordinary amount that, if confirmed, could, at least in theory, satisfy China’s energy needs for about 60 000 years, making the country completely independent of traditional energy sources. The study also suggests that the amount of removable Torio For only 5 years of mining waste would be sufficient to cover the energy needs of the USA over 1 000 years. However, they are still preliminary estimates, and it is not yet confirmed what the actual amount of Torio is present in these 233 areas, Nor is what this metal can be concretely extracted from the minerals in which it is contained, using the technologies currently available.
Nevertheless, the identification and extraction of the Torio represent one of the added objectives of the energy strategy of China, a state still strongly dependent on coal for the production of energy. The adoption of alternative nuclear technologies, such as those based on the Torio, could significantly contribute to the reduction of this dependence. With this in mind, China has announced its intention to build others 24 central nuclear by 2030as part of its wider energy transition strategy.
What the Torio is for as a nuclear energy source
The Torio (Th in the periodic table) is a white-argento metal, slightly radioactivewhich is commonly found incorporated in the crystalline lattice of several minerals, including the monozitis. The Torio is also common in several clayey mineralsin sands and in soilswhere its concentrations can overcome the 6 parts per million (PPM). In nature, the Torio is about 3 times more abundant than uranium. A report by the International Agency for Atomic Energy (IAEA) published in 2018 estimates that the global resources notes of Torio amounted to beyond 6.2 million tons.
The most common radioactive isotope in nature is the Torio-232 (TH-232), whose slow decay process leads to the formation of Lead-208 (PB-208). Th-232 It is not a material fissileand therefore cannot be used directly as fuel in nuclear reactors. However, it is considered an isotope fertilesince, after absorbing a neutron, it turns into Uranium-233 (U-233), a fissile isotope. In this behavior, it is similar toUranium-238, that converts into plutonium-239 through a similar process. Once produced, the U-233 can support Nuclear chain fission reactionstherefore becoming a fuel precious for new generation fission reactors.
Nuclear reactor with top salts at Torio
In the 2023China has started the construction of the First reactor with top salts al Torio (Tmsr-Thorium Molten-Salt Reactors), for the production of electricity, in the Gobi desert, with the aim of generating about 10 megawatt of electricity by 2029. This project is based on an experimental prototype by 2 MWoperational since 2021. The generated energy would be sufficient to feed beyond 100,000 homes.
The TMSR reactor will use fuel with uranium enriched with less than 20% and approximately 50 kg of Torio. Of this quantity, only a very small part will be converted into U-233 during the functioning of the reactor, with a conversion ratio equal to 0.1. It is an extremely efficient system, capable of producing fissile fuel consuming minimal quantities of Torio. To allow this transformation and the start of the chain fission reaction, the fuel will be combined with lithium fluoride and heated up to 1 400 ° C.
Advantages and disadvantages in the use of Torio
Torio presents itself as one of the main alternatives to uranium for the production of nuclear energy. In addition to being more abundant in nature, according to experts, a single tonne of Torio could produce as much energy as 200 tons of U-235. The Torio reactors, in particular those with melted salts, are designed to be more compact and safer: the fuel, being liquidcan be quickly transferred to a containment system in case of emergency, reducing the risk of fusion of the core. Furthermore, they do not require water cooling systems and produce minimum quantities of slag radioactive long -lasting.
However, despite the numerous theoretical advantages, the development of reactors in Torio still has several challenges. Torio’s extraction and refining need technological improvements to become economically advantageous. In addition, the infrastructures of the global nuclear industry are currently based on the exploitation of uranium, which makes a possible passage on a large scale to the Torio complex. They will therefore be necessary further studies and adjustments technical-economic Before the production of energy starting from the isotopes of the Torio becomes a practical and sustainable solution for the future.
