Editing Thorium (section)

===Advantages===
Thorium is more abundant than uranium, and can satisfy world energy demands for longer.{{sfn|Greenwood|Earnshaw|1997|p=1259}} It is particularly suitable for being used as fertile material in [[molten salt reactor]]s.

<sup>232</sup>Th absorbs neutrons more readily than <sup>238</sup>U, and <sup>233</sup>U has a higher probability of fission upon neutron capture (92.0%) than <sup>235</sup>U (85.5%) or <sup>239</sup>Pu (73.5%).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/reColor.jsp?newColor=sigf |title=Interactive Chart of Nuclides |publisher=[[Brookhaven National Laboratory]] |access-date=12 August 2013 |archive-date=24 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170124175936/http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/chart/reColor.jsp?newColor=sigf }}</ref> It also releases more neutrons upon fission on average.{{sfn|Greenwood|Earnshaw|1997|p=1259}} A single neutron capture by <sup>238</sup>U produces transuranic waste along with the fissile <sup>239</sup>Pu, but <sup>232</sup>Th only produces this waste after five captures, forming <sup>237</sup>Np. This number of captures does not happen for 98–99% of the <sup>232</sup>Th nuclei because the intermediate products <sup>233</sup>U or <sup>235</sup>U undergo fission, and fewer long-lived transuranics are produced. Because of this, thorium is a potentially attractive alternative to uranium in [[MOX fuel|mixed oxide fuels]] to minimise the generation of transuranics and maximise the destruction of [[plutonium]].<ref name="wnn-20130621">{{cite news |url=http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ENF_Thorium_test_begins_2106131.html |title=Thorium test begins |publisher=World Nuclear News |year=2013 |access-date=21 July 2013 |archive-date=19 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719084439/http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/ENF_Thorium_test_begins_2106131.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Thorium fuels result in a safer and better-performing [[reactor core]]{{sfn|Wickleder|Fourest|Dorhout|2006|pp=52–53}} because thorium dioxide has a higher melting point, higher [[thermal conductivity]], and a lower [[coefficient of thermal expansion]]. It is more stable chemically than the now-common fuel uranium dioxide, because the latter oxidises to [[triuranium octoxide]] ({{chem2|U3O8}}), becoming substantially less dense.<ref name="Thorium Fuel Cycle – Potential Benefits and Challenges">{{cite web|url=http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/TE_1450_web.pdf|publisher=International Atomic Energy Agency|title=IAEA-TECDOC-1450 Thorium Fuel Cycle – Potential Benefits and Challenges|date=2005|access-date=23 March 2009|archive-date=4 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804054758/http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/TE_1450_web.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>