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Thorium

Thorium is more abundant than uranium in the Earth's crust, primarily found in mineral forms such as oxides and phosphates. Major types of thorium deposits include placers, carbonatite-hosted, vein-type, and alkaline rock-hosted deposits, with various minerals containing thorium. Current estimates suggest over 6.2 million tons of thorium resources globally, although reporting uncertainties exist.

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7 views1 page

Thorium

Thorium is more abundant than uranium in the Earth's crust, primarily found in mineral forms such as oxides and phosphates. Major types of thorium deposits include placers, carbonatite-hosted, vein-type, and alkaline rock-hosted deposits, with various minerals containing thorium. Current estimates suggest over 6.2 million tons of thorium resources globally, although reporting uncertainties exist.

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Jakub Sitek
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IAEA-CN-216 Abstact 164

Thorium: Geology, occurrence, deposits and resources

F. Barthel1, H. Tulsidas2
1
Consultant, Burgdorf, Germany
2
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria

E-mail address of main author: [email protected]

The average content of thorium in the upper crust of the earth reaches 6 to 10 g/t, about 3 to 4 times
that of uranium. Thorium is widely distributed, however not as metal, but in mineral form as oxides,
silicates, phosphates, and lesser in various other minerals.

Thorium deposits, in simplified form, are divided into four major types, which are: placers,
carbonatite-hosted, vein-type and alkaline rock-hosted deposits.

Placer deposits are formed by weathering of country rocks, transportation and wave/current action
near shore. Commonly they are known as black sands or heavy mineral sands. The main thorium
mineral is the rare earth phosphate monazite with generally less than 10% Th. Other commercial
minerals are e.g. ilmenite, rutile, magnetite etc. Monazite can be separated and, if thorium is required,
it can be extracted as by-product. Placers range in age from Archean to Tertiary and to Recent
deposition.

Carbonatite rocks are of magmatic origin, consisting of more than 50% carbonate minerals (calcite,
dolomite, ankerite), often enriched in magnetite, apatite fluorite and accessory Nb-Ta minerals,
containing Th. Other economic minerals may be present. Carbonatite deposits are common world-
wide. Presently commercial interest is primarily on Nb and Ta, thorium may be recovered as by-
product, if required.

Vein-type deposits are wide-spread too and mainly of hydrothermal origin occurring in spatial relation
to intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks, often related to carbonatite intrusions. They are generally
elongated, vein-and lense-like in shape or in sheets, filling joints and fissures. Common thorium
minerals are thorium oxide and thorium silicate. Veins are frequently polymetallic. Thorium could be
a by-product, if required.

Alkaline rocks are of igneous origin characterized by high amount of alkali feldspar (alkali granite,
syenite). Frequently delimitation to peralkaline rocks cannot be drawn. Alkaline and peralkaline rocks
are often spatially related to carbonatite intrusions. Mineral composition is various. Similar to other
deposits types, thorium may be a by-product.

Thorium resources can be classified according to confidence in estimates of tonnages. In many cases
official figures are either not available or not in agreement with established standards. Therefore
uncertainties remain in reporting numbers. However, latest estimates for the world indicates more than
6.2 million t Th.

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