Thorium: Crustal abundance, joint production, and economic availability
Abstract
Recently, interest in thorium's potential use in a nuclear fuel cycle has been renewed. Thorium is more abundant, at least on average, than uranium in the earth's crust and, therefore, could theoretically extend the use of nuclear energy technology beyond the economic limits of uranium resources. This paper provides an economic assessment of thorium availability by creating cumulative-availability and potential mining-industry cost curves, based on known thorium resources. These tools provide two perspectives on the economic availability of thorium. In the long term, physical quantities of thorium likely will not be a constraint on the development of a thorium fuel cycle. In the medium term, however, thorium supply may be limited by constraints associated with its production as a by-product of rare earth elements and heavy mineral sands. As a result, environmental concerns, social issues, regulation, and technology also present issues for the medium and long term supply of thorium.
- Authors:
-
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States)
- Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Lab., Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1248172
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1249569
- Report Number(s):
- INL/JOU-14-33388
Journal ID: ISSN 0301-4207; PII: S0301420715000185
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC07-05ID14517
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Resources Policy
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 44; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0301-4207
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; thorium availability; thorium costs; availability; thorium; joint production; cumulative availability curve; mine cost curve
Citation Formats
Jordan, Brett W., Eggert, Roderick G., Dixon, Brent W., and Carlsen, Brett W. Thorium: Crustal abundance, joint production, and economic availability. United States: N. p., 2015.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.resourpol.2015.02.002.
Jordan, Brett W., Eggert, Roderick G., Dixon, Brent W., & Carlsen, Brett W. Thorium: Crustal abundance, joint production, and economic availability. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2015.02.002
Jordan, Brett W., Eggert, Roderick G., Dixon, Brent W., and Carlsen, Brett W. Mon .
"Thorium: Crustal abundance, joint production, and economic availability". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2015.02.002. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1248172.
@article{osti_1248172,
title = {Thorium: Crustal abundance, joint production, and economic availability},
author = {Jordan, Brett W. and Eggert, Roderick G. and Dixon, Brent W. and Carlsen, Brett W.},
abstractNote = {Recently, interest in thorium's potential use in a nuclear fuel cycle has been renewed. Thorium is more abundant, at least on average, than uranium in the earth's crust and, therefore, could theoretically extend the use of nuclear energy technology beyond the economic limits of uranium resources. This paper provides an economic assessment of thorium availability by creating cumulative-availability and potential mining-industry cost curves, based on known thorium resources. These tools provide two perspectives on the economic availability of thorium. In the long term, physical quantities of thorium likely will not be a constraint on the development of a thorium fuel cycle. In the medium term, however, thorium supply may be limited by constraints associated with its production as a by-product of rare earth elements and heavy mineral sands. As a result, environmental concerns, social issues, regulation, and technology also present issues for the medium and long term supply of thorium.},
doi = {10.1016/j.resourpol.2015.02.002},
journal = {Resources Policy},
number = C,
volume = 44,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 EST 2015},
month = {Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 EST 2015}
}
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Saussurea lappa root extract ameliorates the hazards effect of thorium induced oxidative stress and neuroendocrine alterations in adult male rats
journal, February 2020
- Abdel-Rahman, Mona; Rezk, Mohamed M.; Ahmed-Farid, Omar A.
- Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 27, Issue 12