【英国《国际核工程》1979年11月号报道】把钍作为另一种有希望的燃料已提出许多年了。虽然钍没有天然存在的易裂变同位素,但是钍-232俘获中子再经过放射性蜕变,就形成了铀-233。在热中子反应堆中,这是一种特别有效的易裂变材料,因为它吸收一个中子能放出大约2.25个裂变中子,这样就提供了一种近增殖堆的燃料循环 [British International Nuclear Project, 1979 November issue] It has been proposed for many years as a promising fuel. Although there is no naturally occurring fissile isotope, thorium-232 captures neutrons and undergoes radioactive transmutation to form uranium-233. In a thermal neutron reactor, this is a particularly effective fissile material because it absorbs a neutron and emits approximately 2.25 fission neutrons, thus providing a near-breeder reactor fuel cycle.