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Magnesium alloys with thorium are frequently referred to as “Mag-Thor.” These alloys typically have the following three compositions: zirconium, thorium, and magnesium. magnesium-thorium-zinc-zirconium.
Thorium is a naturally occurring radioactive substance that is frequently used in MOD for optical lenses, aircraft parts made of magnesium alloy, and various substances used in laboratories. Gas mantles, thoriated welding rods and Milan weapon system night flares are among the obsolete thoriated goods.
Magnesium was widely utilised in first-world war armaments, including incendiary flares and tracer rounds, where its flammability and powerful light-emitting qualities were advantageous. Due to its widespread employment in military aircraft during World War II, the metal’s low density was utilised.
The Global Thorium Alloy Market accounted for $XX Billion in 2022 and is anticipated to reach $XX Billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of XX% from 2023 to 2030.
On this planet, thorium is almost as common in the crust as lead. In addition to making up around 6% of the lanthanide ore monazite, which is now the source of the majority of the world’s thorium supply, the element also exists as thorite, ThSiO4, and thorianite, ThO2.
About 5000 tonnes of thorium are produced globally each year, and there are more than three million tonnes of recognised deposits. Brazil, India, Norway, Turkey, and the US are nations having significant thorium reserves.
Thorium oxide and calcium can be heated, and thorium tetrafluoride and magnesium can be reacted to produce thorium metal. A protective layer of thermally stable thorium oxide forms on the silvery-white metal as a result of a quick reaction between it and air’s oxygen.
Thorium crucibles are employed in high temperature research because thorium oxide has the highest melting point of all known oxides, 3000°C. Thorium is a soft and ductile metal, although its alloys can be robust and able to tolerate high temperatures.
These characteristics, among others, lead to the employment of a magnesium-thorium alloy in aviation engines. When the gas mantle was developed, neither thorium metal nor its compounds had a lot of use. Produced in the hundreds of millions, they were made of thorium oxide (with 1% cerium oxide) and when heated, they gave forth a dazzling white light.
The world’s thorium likely contains more energy than all of the known fossil fuel sources combined. When thorium-232 is attacked with neutrons, it first converts into the shorter-lived thorium-233 before decaying into uranium-233. Similar to uranium-235, this then undergoes fission, releasing energy as well as enough neutrons to keep the reaction going.
