Thorium

By John Emsley2010-09-01T00:00:00

Source: Mark Williamson/Science Photo Library

The nuclear fuel that could last 10,000 years

In 1815, Jöns Jakob Berzelius thought he had extracted a new element from a recently discovered mineral and he named this 'element' thorium. His discovery later turned out to be yttrium phosphate, but he so liked the name that he used it again in 1829 when he did discover a new element from a rock specimen sent to him by Hans Esmark, a Norwegian mineralogist.

John Emsley explores thorium's uses and it's potential future.

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