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Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Metacomet who wrote (20454)	7/25/2007 8:55:52 PM
From: Elroy Jetson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217654

There are small Thorium reactor prototypes. Previous operating Thorium reactor plants were converted due to higher operating costs and unsolved problems in fuel reprocessing. Russia is probably th most interested as a way to eliminate their excessive stocks of Plutonium while creating electricity at the same time. Some Thorium reactor designs require a nuclear accelerator adjoining the reactor. .

To: Metacomet who wrote (20454)	7/25/2007 9:38:05 PM
From: energyplay	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 217654

The U233 in the thorium cycle can be weaponized. It will be contaminated with U232, which then has daughter products with very penetrating gamma rays (2.8 Mev), but these do not cause a fizzle, like high levels of Pu240 do for Pu239 devices. You just need a LOT of lead lining in your reprocessing areas. Now the U233 will not make a good sneaky terrorist weapon, because those really strong gamma rays can go through a foot of lead AND several shipping containers to trigger radiation detectors across the street. Thorium is likely to be part of the uranium cycle, but some of the by products will require additional investment for safe reprocessing.