Hs Hassium 108 (278) 8 7 d 108 [Rn] 5f14 6d6 7s2 2 8 18 32 32 14 2 None Unknown 1 1.11 h 1.39h AlphaEmission TransitionMetal, Metal, Radioactive, Synthetic HES-i-em Synthetic radioactive metal. It has no significant commercial applications. Formed by the bombardment of lead-208 with iron-58. VQ8cZoA0tiU Hassium

Thorium was discovered by Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1828, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Thorium was first observed to be radioactive in 1898, independently, by Polish-French physicist Marie Curie and German chemist Gerhard Carl Schmidt.

The crystal bar process was discovered by Anton Eduard van Arkel and Jan Hendrik de Boer in 1925 to produce high-purity metallic thorium. Named after Thor, Scandinavian god of war 108 1984 Peter Armbruster, Gottfried Münzenber and their co-workers. Gesellschaft für Schwerionenforschung (GSI) in Darmstadt, Germany. The origin of the name is the Latin word "Hassias" meaning "Hess", the German state.

Thorium is highly radioactive

Thorium fuel research is continuing in several countries including the USA and India

Thorium is used to coat tungsten filaments in light bulbs.

It is also used in its oxide form in gas tungsten arc welding to increase the high-temperature strength of tungsten electrodes and improve arc stability.

Thorium-magnesium alloys are used in the aerospace industry for aircraft engines.