Th2O3

Thorium dioxide (ThO₂) is a refractory ceramic compound belonging to the rare earth and actinide oxide family, characterized by an extremely high melting point and chemical stability at elevated temperatures. Historically used in gas mantle applications and nuclear fuel cycles, ThO₂ serves niche roles in high-temperature crucibles, arc lamp electrodes, and experimental thorium-based nuclear fuel forms; it is less common in modern engineering than alternative refractories due to regulatory restrictions on thorium's radioactivity and availability of non-radioactive competitors like yttria and magnesia, though it remains of interest in specialized nuclear materials research and high-temperature metallurgical processes.