Thorium dioxide

Thorium dioxide, also known as thorium(IV) oxide or thoria, is a chemical compound made of thorium and oxygen. It has the chemical formula ThO2. Like every thorium compound, it is radioactive.

It can be found as the mineral thorianite. Thorianite is similar to pitchblende, but rarer.

Properties

Thorium dioxide is a refractory material with a melting point above 3,300 °C (5,970 °F). This is the highest known melting point of all oxides. Only a few elements and some specialized compounds have higher melting points.

Thorium dioxide shines with a bright blue light when heated and exposed to air. It is candoluminescent, meaning it emits more visible light than an ideal blackbody would at the same temperature. Because of this, people used to use thorium dioxide in gas mantles, especially mixed with cerium dioxide.[1]

Sources

  1. ↑ Ivey, Henry F. (1974). "Candoluminescence and radical-excited luminescence". Journal of Luminescence. 8 (4): 271–307. Bibcode:1974JLum....8..271I. doi:10.1016/0022-2313(74)90001-5.
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