Mineral Species sorted by the element Th Thorium (original) (raw)

Thorium (Th) Element Properties

Atomic Mass 232.0381
Atomic Number 90
Name Origins Named after Thor, Scandinavian god of war.
Year Discovered 1815
Discovery Credits J. J Berzelisu at Stockholm, Sweden..
Remarks Radioactive silvery metal. Metal protected by oxide coating. Attached by steam and slowly by acids. Metal itself is soft an ductile but alloys can be strong. Used in refractory materials, nuclear fuel elements, and incandescent gas mantles. Diagnostic tests: Thorium is usually detected by radioactivity (due, in part, to the daughter elements such as radium). Uranium is also naturally radioactive; however, many uranium minerals are generally yellow or green and fluorescent, so if not, then suspect Th. Any radioactive mineral with a negative reaction to uranium tests is probably thorium. Thorium is usually associated with the rare earth elements and use complicated schemes to identify the element. Basically, the rare earths and thorium are precipitated as hydroxides from acid solutions. The precipitate is dissolved in HCl and precipitated as insoluble oxalates, washed, filtered and ignited to the oxides. The oxide is dissolved in H2SO4 and ignited to dryness. Dissolve the sulphates in water and precipitate Th using boiling sodium thiosulfate solution. Repeat the thiosulfate step if necessary to eliminate excess Ce, Zr, and Hf. Infusible thorium minerals glow with exaggerated incandescence in the flame test (along with Sr, Mg, Zr, Zn, Ca - the "lime light effect").
References Emsley, J., 1991; THE ELEMENTS : Sec. Ed., Clarendon Press, Oxford, 251 p.
See Also WebElements,ChemiCool

Naturally Occurring Isotopes

Symbol Isotope Mass Isotope Nuclide Number Isotope Number Natural Abundance Half-life Half-life Units Decay Mode Decay Mode MeV Decay Mode %
Th 228.028715 228 90 0.0001% 1.919 Years alpha 5.520 100.00%
Th 229.031755 229 90 0.0000% 7,300 Years alpha 5.168 100.00%
Th 230.033127 230 90 0.0001% 75,400 Years alpha 4.771 100.00%
Th 231.036298 231 90 0.0001% 25.2 Hours beta - 0.389 100.00%
Th 232.038054 232 90 100.000% 1.4x1010 Years alpha 4.081 100.00%
Th 234.036593 234 90 0.0001% 24.1 Days beta - 0.270 100.00%

Mineral Species sorted by the element Th (Thorium )

Click Here for Mineral Species Sorted By Mineral Name

%Th Mineral Name Chemical Formula MW
87.88%Th Thorianite ThO2 264.04
72.13%Th Thorogummite Th(SiO4)1-x(OH)4x 321.72
71.59%Th Huttonite ThSiO4 324.12
71.59%Th Thorite ThSiO4 324.12
50.22%Th Brabantite ? CaTh(PO4)2 462.06
45.57%Th Thorbastnasite Th(Ca,Ce)(CO3)2F2•3(H2O) 509.19
43.73%Th Grayite (Th,Pb,Ca)PO4•(H2O) 318.38
31.55%Th Brockite (Ca,Th,Ce)(PO4)•(H2O) 220.66
29.73%Th Cerianite-(Ce) (Ce++++,Th)O2 195.09
29.29%Th Thorosteenstrupine (Ca,Th,Mn)3Si4O11F•6(H2O) 712.88
29.02%Th Cheralite-(Ce) ? (Ce,Ca,Th)(P,Si)O4 239.85
27.79%Th Yttrialite-(Y) (Y,Th)2Si2O7 417.54
27.08%Th Ekanite ThCa2Si8O20 856.87
25.29%Th Steacyite K1-x(Ca,Na)2ThSi8O20(x=0.2to0.4) 825.70
23.79%Th Tuliokite BaNa6Th(CO3)6•6(H2O) 975.45
23.75%Th Thorutite (Th,U,Ca)Ti2(O,OH)6 390.82
21.11%Th Turkestanite ! Th(Ca,Na)2(K1-x,[]x)Si8O20•n(H2O) 879.42
20.41%Th Thornasite Na12Th3[Si8O19]4•18(H2O) 3,410.96
19.29%Th Eylettersite (Th,Pb)1-xAl3(PO4,SiO4)2(OH)6(?) 481.10
18.38%Th Umbozerite Na3Sr4ThSi8(O,OH)24 1,262.17
18.25%Th Britholite-(Ce) (Ce,Ca,Th,La,Nd)5(SiO4,PO4)3(OH,F) 762.67
15.73%Th Monazite-(Sm) ! SmPO4 221.25
14.16%Th Ciprianiite ! Ca4[(Th,U)(REE)]2(Al,[])2[Si4B4O22](OH,F)2 1,032.51
11.33%Th Nioboaeschynite-(Y) ! [(Y,REE),Ca,**Th**,Fe](Nb,Ti,Ta)2(O,OH)6 368.70
9.94%Th Iraqite-(La) K(La,Ce,Th)2(Ca,Na)4(Si,Al)16O40 1,634.63
9.31%Th Arapovite ! (U,Th)(Ca,Na)2(K1-x[]x)Si8O20•H2O,x=0.5 897.66
9.29%Th Samarskite-(Yb) ! (Yb,Y,REE,U,Th,Ca,Fe++)(Nb,Ta,Ti)O4 312.29
9.08%Th Vicanite-(Ce) (Ca,Ce,La,Th)15As+++++(As+++0.5,Na0.5)Fe+++Si6B4O40F7 2,554.77
8.42%Th Kukharenkoite-(La) ! Ba2(La,Ce)(CO3)3F 605.99
8.16%Th Kivuite ? (Th,Ca,Pb)H2(UO2)4(PO4)2(OH)8•7(H2O) 1,706.20
8.04%Th Althupite ThAl(UO2)7(PO4)4(OH)5•15(H2O) 2,884.36
7.93%Th Orthochevkinite * (Ce,La,Ca,Na,Th)4(Fe++,Mg)2(Ti,Fe+++)3Si4O22 1,170.75
7.79%Th Yttrocrasite-(Y) (Y,Th,Ca,U)(Ti,Fe+++)2(O,OH)6 298.05
7.53%Th Saryarkite-(Y) Ca(Y,Th)Al5(SiO4)2(PO4,SO4)2(OH)7•6(H2O) 924.75
6.22%Th Polycrase-(Y) (Y,Ca,Ce,U,Th)(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6 372.96
6.18%Th Karnasurtite-(Ce) (Ce,La,Th)(Ti,Nb)(Al,Fe+++)(Si,P)2O7(OH)4•3(H2O)(?) 450.31
6.06%Th Zirkelite (Ca,Th,Ce)Zr(Ti,Nb)2O7 382.76
5.88%Th Calciobetafite Ca2(Ti,Nb)2(O,OH)7 394.30
5.58%Th Uranopolycrase (U,Y)(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6 415.77
5.31%Th Yttrobetafite-(Y) (Y,U,Ce)2(Ti,Nb,Ta)2O6(OH) 437.15
5.14%Th Melanocerite-(Ce) (Ce,Th,Ca)5(Si,B)3O12(OH,F)•n(H2O)(?) 903.06
5.11%Th Piergorite-(Ce) ! Ca8Ce2(Al0.5 Fe+++0.5)([ ],Li,Be)2Si6B8O36(OH,F)2 1,498.89
4.84%Th Monazite-(La) (La,Ce,Nd)PO4 239.90
4.83%Th Monazite-(Ce) (Ce,La,Nd,Th)PO4 240.21
4.82%Th Monazite-(Nd) (Nd,Ce,La)(P,Si)O4 240.72
4.59%Th Menezesite ! Ba2MgZr4(BaNb12O42)•12H2O 2,778.48
4.42%Th Tritomite-(Ce) (Ce,La,Ca,Y,Th)5(Si,B)3(O,OH,F)13 787.79
3.79%Th Dissakisite-(La) ! (Ca,Fe++,Th,La)(La,REE,Ca)(Al,Cr,Ti)2(Mg,Fe,Al)Si3O12(OH,F)withLa>Ce 551.33
3.66%Th Cervandonite-(Ce) (Ce,Nd,La)(Fe+++,Fe++,Ti++++,Al)3(SiO7)1-x+y(AsO3)1+x-y(OH)3x-3y 634.48
3.61%Th Zirconolite-3O (Ca,Fe,Y,Th)2Fe(Ti,Nb)3Zr2O7 385.57
3.29%Th Coutinhoite ! ThxBa1-2x(H2O)y(UO2)2Si5O13•H2O 2,118.94
3.20%Th Sazhinite-(La) ! Na3La[Si6O15]•2(H2O) 652.93
3.02%Th Bussyite-(Ce) ! (Ce,REE)3(Na,H2O)6MnSi9Be5(O,OH)30F4 1,329.21
2.97%Th Fersmite (Ca,Ce,Na)(Nb,Ta,Ti)2(O,OH,F)6 390.96
2.30%Th Mottanaite-(Ce) ! Ca4(Ce,Ca)2AlBe2[Si4B4O22]O2 1,007.13
1.93%Th Chevkinite-(Ce) (Ce,La,Ca,Th)4(Fe++,Mg)2(Ti,Fe+++)3Si4O22 1,205.27
1.85%Th Polyakovite-(Ce) ! (Ce,La,Nd,Pr,Ca)4(Mg,Fe++)(Cr,Fe+++)2(Ti,Nb)2Si4O22 1,255.42
1.85%Th Steenstrupine-(Ce) Na14Ce6Mn++Mn+++Fe++2(Zr,Th)(Si6O18)2(PO4)7•3(H2O) 3,142.39
1.66%Th Okanoganite-(Y) (Na,Ca)3(Y,Ce)12Si6B2O27F14 2,660.88
1.51%Th Fluorbritholite-(Ce) (Ca,Ce,La,Na)5(SiO4,PO4)3(OH,F) 769.69
1.31%Th Fluorcalciobritholite ! (Ca,REE)5[(Si,P)O4]3F 710.23
1.04%Th Ilimaussite-(Ce) (Ba,Na)10K3Na4.5Ce5(Nb,Ti)6[Si12O36][Si9O18(O,OH)24]O6 4,253.30
0.97%Th Perrierite-(Ce) (Ce,La,Ca)4(Fe++,Mg)2(Ti,Fe+++)3Si4O22 1,201.74
0.86%Th Proshchenkoite-(Y) ! (Y,REE,Ca,Na,Mn)15Fe++Ca(P,Si)Si6B3(O,F)48 2,711.51
0.78%Th Lakargiite ! CaZrO3 177.87
0.74%Th Iwashiroite-(Y) ! YTaO4 313.16
0.55%Th Yakovenchukite-(Y) ! K3NaCaY2(Si12O30)•4H2O 1,256.79
0.40%Th Uedaite-(Ce) ! Mn++CeAl2Fe++(Si2O7)(SiO4)O(OH) 584.87
0.27%Th Kuannersuite-(Ce) ! Ba6Na2REE2(PO4)6FCl 1,704.53
0.25%Th Allanite-(La) ! Ca(REE,Ca)Al2(Fe++,Fe+++)(SiO4)(Si2O7)O(OH) 557.74
0.19%Th Dingdaohengite-(Ce) ! (Ce,La)4Fe++(Ti,Fe++,Mg,Fe+++)2Ti2Si4O22 1,237.85

(* - Mineral Name Is Not IMA Approved)
(! - New Dana classification added or changed from Danas New Mineralogy)
(? - IMA Discredited Mineral Species Name)

There are 71 minerals with Th in the Mineralogy Database.