【《日刊工业新闻》1981年9月2日报道】日本原子能研究所研究出用溶胶-凝胶法将钍加工成粒状核燃料的技术。值得注意的是,原研采用的是湿式加工法,它与干法相比,产生的放射性粉尘少,便于管理,还能用于制造铀-钚的粒状燃料。溶胶-凝胶法是在硝酸钍溶液里加入氨, The Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun reported on September 2, 1981 that the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute has developed a technique for processing thorium into granular nuclear fuel by the sol-gel method. It is noteworthy that the wet process used in the original research, which produces less radioactive dust than dry processes, is easy to manage and can also be used to make uranium-plutonium particulate fuel. Sol - gel method is to add ammonia in the thorium nitrate solution,