Chapter 22: Problem 14

How is thorium extracted? Discuss its chemistry in brief.

Short Answer

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Thorium is extracted from thorium-containing minerals like monazite through a process involving treatment with hot concentrated sulfuric acid which produces a thorium sulfate solution. This solution is then washed, precipitated, and calcined to form thorium dioxide which can be further reduced to metallic thorium. Thorium is a slightly radioactive metal, reactive in nature, with thorium-232 being its most stable isotope.

Step by step solution

Extraction of Thorium

Thorium is usually found in various minerals like monazite and thorite. The widely employed method for thorium extraction involves the processing of these minerals.\nFirst, the thorium containing mineral, for instance, monazite, is mined and ground into a fine powder. Then, it is treated with hot concentrated sulfuric acid, which converts the thorium into soluble thorium sulfate. The thorium sulfate solution is then leached away from the insoluble residuals of the mineral.

Refining Thorium

The thorium sulfate solution undergoes several washing and precipitation steps. One method to refine thorium is to precipitate it as thorium oxalate. This can be done by adding oxalic acid to the solution. The thorium oxalate is then filtered, washed, and heated (calcined) to convert it to thorium dioxide. The thorium dioxide can be further reduced to metallic thorium by heating it with calcium at high temperatures.

Thorium's Chemistry

Thorium is a naturally-occurring, slightly radioactive metal. It's a chemical element with the symbol Th and atomic number 90. It’s part of the Actinide series of elements in the Periodic Table.\nThorium is chemically reactive and can ignite spontaneously in air when finely divided. In nature, virtually all thorium is found as thorium-232. Among all isotopes, thorium-232 is the most stable one.\nIt forms thorium dioxide upon reacting with oxygen and has oxides, halides, and other compounds.

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How is thorium extracted? Discuss its chemistry in brief.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Extraction of Thorium

Refining Thorium

Thorium's Chemistry

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