thorium
n. uncountablen. a heavy, radioactive metal that is found in nature. It is similar to uranium and can be used to create energy in special types of nuclear reactors.
n. a radioactive metallic chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It is a fertile material that can be converted into fissile uranium-233 within a nuclear reactor.
Scientists are studying thorium as a safer alternative to uranium.
Unlike traditional uranium reactors, molten salt reactors can utilize thorium to produce energy with less long-lived radioactive waste.
The abundance of thorium in the Earth's crust makes it a potentially significant resource for future nuclear energy production, though its commercial deployment remains limited by current technological constraints.
From Thor + -ium.