The proposal to use thorium in nuclear reactors has been a tantalizing possibility since the 1970s.
Thorium, aptly named after Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is a naturally-occurring, slightly radioactive metal.You may not have heard of thorium, but it is used in many day-to-day items due to its many practical properties. When heated in air thorium metal turnings ignite and burn brilliantly with a white light, which is why thorium is frequently used in light bulb elements, lantern mantles, arc-light lamps and heat-resistant ceramics. Thorium oxide is also used in glass to form high quality lenses for cameras and scientific instruments.
Many in the industry are researching thorium as fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. Russia, India and China plan to use thorium for their future nuclear energy programs. India is the world leader in the design of thorium reactors; its Bhabha Atomic research center has dveloped and is testing a 30kW test reactor to explore the possibilities of a thorium reactor. View the following video to get a glimpse of one of India’s thorium research projects:
Duke Energy Nuclear Information Center 