torium232

Torium-232 is not a recognized element or isotope name; it is commonly a misspelling or variant of thorium-232 (232Th). The isotope thorium-232 is the most abundant naturally occurring isotope of the element thorium.

Thorium-232 has a half-life of about 14.05 billion years and decays by alpha emission through a decay chain to lead-208. Its long half-life means thorium-232 contributes the most to the natural radioactivity of thorium-containing ore.

In nature, thorium-232 is found in minerals such as monazite and thorite and is extracted as part of the processing of rare earth elements. Purified thorium is typically obtained as thorium oxide (ThO2) or metal after processing.

Chemically, thorium is a silvery radioactive actinide metal. In most compounds, thorium is in the +4 oxidation state and forms oxides, halides, and silicates. It has a high melting point and density, and thorium dioxide is relatively chemically stable.

Nuclear use centers on the thorium fuel cycle. Thorium-232 itself is not fissile but fertile; when irradiated in a reactor, it can absorb a neutron and, through beta decays, breed uranium-233, which is fissile. This pathway has been explored in research and some experimental reactors and molten-salt concepts, though it has not displaced conventional uranium-plutonium cycles.

Safety and environmental considerations reflect its long-lived alpha radioactivity. Handling requires appropriate radiological controls; inhalation or ingestion is hazardous, and disposal is regulated. See also thorium-232, thorium fuel cycle, and actinide chemistry.