Thorium
Thorium (Th) is a slightly radioactive, natural occurring chemical element. It exists in most rocks and soils and has the potential to replace uranium.
Pure thorium is a silvery white metal that has the ability to retain its lustre for many months after being exposed to the elements. This is because of its slow rate of decay (it has a half life of three time the Earth's age). However, it does slowly tarnish when exposed to air, first by changing to a grey colour and eventually ending up black. It's growing importance is that it is slightly radioactive and is three times more abundant than uranium. Thorium oxide has one of the highest melting points of all oxides, at 3300 degrees Celsius.
Thorium was discovered in 1882 by a Swedish chemist, Berzelius, who named it 'Thorium' after the Norse god of thunder, 'Thor.' Thorium metal turnings easily ignite and exhibit a brilliant white light while burning. For this reason thorium has enjoyed wide usage as light bulb elements, arc light lamps and lantern mantles. It is also used in heat resistant ceramics and welding electrodes. When thorium oxide is added to glass it gives the glass a dispersion and high refractive index that enhances its value in quality lenses for scientific instruments and camera lenses.
It is hoped in many circles that thorium will ultimately be able to replace uranium for large scale energy production purposes, particularly in the area of nuclear power generation. When compared to uranium, thorium has a safer fuel cycle because of the absence of non-fertile isotopes. Some of the benefits thorium has over uranium as a nuclear fuel are as follows:
- Thorium can't sustain a nuclear chain reaction if it is not primed, therefore fission ceases by default when used in an accelerator driven reactor
- Thorium produces from 10 to 10,000 times fewer long life radioactive waste
- It is much harder to safely, or clandestinely, retrieve weapons grade fissionable material from a thorium reactor
Countries such as; China, United States, United Kingdom, India, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands have undergone experiments using thorium as a nuclear fuel in nuclear reactors. This is reflecting a growing interest world wide of substituting thorium for uranium because of its greater safety benefits, the lack of non-fertile isotopes and its higher occurrence and availability. The first commercial power station in the world to use thorium as a fuel was built in Germany. India built its first such generator in 2011 and the United States is constructing a power station that will use ceramic-coated thorium beads at Odessa, Texas, that is due to come on line in 2015.
Although Australia has one of the world's largest reserves of thorium it doesn't yet have a thorium industry. At the present time, where thorium is located in a mine, it treats it with having little more value than it does waste material. It is part of the mineral sands and rare earth mining industry that has the potential to produce thorium commercially should the demand rise. Thorium is not separated by sand miners at the present time but returned to the mine. This could change in the future as it would be relatively easy for them to extract thorium concentrate if, or when, the need arose.
Rare earth mined at the Nolan's Bore Mine in the Northern Territory contains about 0.2 percent thorium and although this is a modest amount it isn't separated or sold to the market. Iluka is an Australian sand miner that is the world's largest producer of zircon and it is widely accepted that many of its tenements hold more thorium in reserve than any other Australian company.
Australian Mines that produce Bauxite
Gove (NT)
Up to 600 workers employed at the Gove bauxite refinery in the Northern Territory face an uncertain future as Pacific Aluminium suspends alumina production.
Ely (QLD)
The Ely Alcan Queensland Pty Ltd agreement at the Weipa bauxite mine is due to expire in 2041 but an option will give it a further 21 years extension.
Skardon River (QLD)
Gulf Alumina acquired 100 percent of the Skardon River tenement in 2011 from its koalin mining joint partner to develop the mining of bauxite at the site
Weipa (QLD)
The Weipa bauxite mine on the western side of the Cape York Peninsula in northern Queensland is both owned and operated by Rio Tinto Alcan.
Huntly (WA)
The Huntly mine in Western Australia is the largest bauxite mine in the world currently producing about 23 million tonnes of bauxite annually.
Willowdale (WA)
The Willowdale bauxite mine that commenced production in 1984 still processes 10 million tonnes of bauxite a year at the nearby Wagerup Refinery.
Worsley (WA)
The Worsley bauxite mine and alumina refinery in South West Western Australia employs more than 1,800 people and produces 4.6 million tonnes of alumina annually.
South Aurukun (QLD)
The South Aurukun bauxite tenements on the Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland are held by Gulf Alumina.
Marchinbar Island (NSW)
The Marchinbar Island bauxite deposit in far north Northern Territory could be mined to satisfy a growing demand from China in the near future.
Kwinana Refinery (WA)
The Kwinana refinery in WA employs around 1,000 direct employees with 60 percent living in the nearby towns of Rockingham, Cockburn and Kwinana.
Wagerup Refinery (WA)
The Alcoa owned Wagerup alumina refinery in W.A. has received governmental approval to lift alumina production from 2.6 to 2.65 million tonnes annually.
Pinjarra Alumina Refinery (WA)
The Pinjarra alumina refinery, near Mandurah south of Perth, is an important part of Alcoa's three refinery system in Western Australia.
Portland Aluminium Smelter (VIC)
The Portland Aluminium smelter in western Victoria, a joint venture operation between Alcoa, CITIC and Marubeni, caters solely to the Asian market.
Felicitas (WA)
The Felicitas bauxite project in Western Australia contains a bauxite resource of 220 million tonnes that will give it a life of mine of 25 years
South Of Embley (QLD)
Despite Rio Tinto placing its South of Embley bauxite project in Cape York, Queensland, on hold for 18 months it still considers it a 'good project.'
Bauxite Hills (QLD)
The Bauxite Hills Project on the Cape York Peninsula in Queensland is hoping to take advantage of an expected increase in the demand for Alumina.
Bald Hill (TAS)
Australian Bauxite Limited's Bald Hill mine, in Tasmania, is to start production in December, 2014. It is the first new bauxite mine in Australia, for over 35 years.
Urquhart Point (QLD)
The Urquhart Point Heavy Mineral Sands Project in Cape York in Far North Queensland is expected to begin production in mid-2015.
Amrun (QLD)
The Amrun bauxite project in far north Queensland, that was previously known as the 'South of Embley' project has been approved for development and expected to be in production by 2019.
