Chemical elements
  Thorium
    Isotopes
    Energy
    Production
    Application
    Physical Properties
    Chemical Properties
      Thorium Hydride
      Thorium Fluoride
      Thorium Oxyfluoride
      Potassium Thorifluoride
      Thorium Chloride
      Thorium Oxychloride
      Complex Thorium Chlorides
      Thorium Bromide
      Thorium Oxybromide
      Thorium Iodide
      Thorium Dioxide
      Thoria
      Metathorium Oxide
      Thorium Hydroxide
      Thorium Superoxide
      Thorium Sulphide
      Thorium Sulphite
      Thorium Sulphate
      Complex Thorium Sulphates
      Thorium Selenite
      Thorium Selenate
      Thorium Nitride
      Thorium Nitrate
      Thorium Orthophosphate
      Thorium Arsenates
      Thorium Carbide
      Thorium Carbonate
      Thorium Formate
      Thorium Acetate
      Thorium Oxalate
      Thorium Tartrate
      Thorium Acetylacetone
      Thorium Silicide
      Thorium Silicate
      Thorium Borides

Thorium Dioxide, ThO2






Thorium Dioxide, ThO2, is obtained by the ignition of the hydroxide, carbonate, sulphate or nitrate, prepared from thorium minerals by the methods already described. It may, however, be obtained in an impure state from thorite or orangite by heating the powdered mineral with carbon in an electric furnace, so as to volatilise the silica. Thoria is a snow-white powder whose physical character varies according to its source; that prepared from the sulphate is dense, that from the nitrate flocculent. It is obtained crystalline by fusion with borax or potassium phosphate; in the former case tetragonal crystals are obtained, in the latter the crystals belong to the regular system. Tetragonal thoria is isomorphous with zirconia, rutile (TiO2), and cassiterite (SnO2). The density of crystallised thoria is 10.22. Pure thoria does not glow brightly when heated, nor does it phosphoresce to any extent under the influence of the cathode rays; it has the power of incandescence only when it is mixed with small quantities of other oxides - as, for instance, in the incandescent-gas mantle, which contains 99 per cent, of thoria mixed with 1 per cent, of ceria.

Strongly ignited thoria is insoluble in acids, though heating with concentrated sulphuric acid and fusion with potassium hydrogen sulphate convert it into sulphate.
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