Chahal's Gyan Ki Baat
ATOMIC MINERALS- URANIUM AND THORIUM
WHAT ARE ATOMIC MINERALS?
- Uranium and Thorium are the main atomic minerals.
- Few other are Beryllium, Lithium and Zirconium.
WHAT IS URANIUM?
- Uranium is a silvery-gray radioactive element.
- It formed naturally only in supernova explosions.
- Its isotopes in nature are 238U and 235U.
- All isotopes are radioactive.
- Traces of Uranium are found everywhere.
WHERE IS URANIUM LOCATED IN INDIA?
- India has no significant reserves.
- All needs are met with imports.
- Imports from Russia, Kazakhstan, France.
- Some quality reserves are in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
WHERE IS URANIUM LOCATED ACROSS THE WORLD?
- Largest deposits are found in Australia, Kazakhstan, and Canada.
- High-grade deposits are only found in few basins of Canada.
- Also found in Russia.
WHAT IS THORIUM?
- Thorium is a radioactive element.
- Like Uranium it occurs naturally in large quantities.
- It turns silver to black when exposed to air.
- It is weakly radioactive.
- Thorium can replace uranium as nuclear fuel.
WHAT ARE USES OF THORIUM?
- Weapons-grade material is harder to retrieve from a reactor.
- Thorium reactors produce far less waste.
- Also produces less radioactive waste.
- They have the ability to burn up long-lasting radioactive and materials.
- Thorium reactors are cheaper.
- These are good for the environment.
- For India, it can benefit from the exports.
WHERE IS THORIUM LOCATED IN INDIA?
WHERE IS THORIUM LOCATED ACROSS THE WORLD?
- Thorium is more abundant in Earth than Uranium.
- United States, Australia, and India have much larger reserves.
- India and Australia possess more than half of world’s thorium reserves.