Dutch scientists conduct salt radiation experiments: Thorium is expected to be the main fuel for nuclear power

The first nuclear experiment in the next generation of molten salt nuclear reactors was conducted by the Netherlands Nuclear Institute, the first experiment in half a century, and an important step toward exploring the power of thorium fuel for the next generation of nuclear reactors.

Thorium has long been considered a safer nuclear fuel. When it is struck by high-energy neutrons, it transforms into fissile uranium-233 and produces radioactive waste that is safer than the uranium-235 waste used by nuclear power plants.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the United States began to develop the molten salt reactor from the 1950s, but was discontinued in the 1970s due to non-technical reasons. In addition to a test reactor constructed by scientists in Kapakan, India, in 2004, thorium reactor research has seen almost no improvement. Now, in cooperation with the European Commission, the Dutch nuclear research and consulting firm carried out this salt radiation experiment in the hope of studying the feasibility of thorium as a fuel for molten salt reactors.

Experts believe that the molten salt reactor is very suitable for the use of thorium fuel, it can obtain very high temperature, significantly improve power generation efficiency. The Dutch team bombarded thorium fuel samples with neutron bombardment, turning thorium into uranium-233, thereby sustaining the chain reaction required to generate energy.

An important technical bottleneck in the development of the molten salt reactor is material research on neutron radiation and resistance to molten salt corrosion. Therefore, the Dutch team will next study the toughness of refractory metal alloys and how to treat molten salt thoriated reactors more efficiently waste.

If the follow-up of the project is significant, there may be many observers who join the Thorium Club. A U.S. startup said it is developing a thorium reactor; Utah's seven county infrastructure consortium is also exploring whether to join the Dutch project.

In spite of this, it can not be said that thorium has now returned to the "main table" of nuclear fuel because the scheduled power plant in Kapadokan, India, runs smoothly and is not known by the end of this year. Experts believe that if you want to take advantage of the clean energy of nuclear power and eliminate the fear of the Fukushima disaster, you should wait patiently for thorium's experimental results.

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