Thorium Fuel Has Proliferation Risk

Still seems lower than the traditional route. And (FTA) instead of using a special facility to directly bombard/convert the thorium into fissible U233 in a short time, they just let the stuff sit for a month and decay into U233 naturally. And the article states that using the wait-to-decay method, theres also fewer/less radiotoxic byproduct, so it seems like a cheaper/safer method to start with.

They still turn it into U233, the bomb stuff. just a difference in timescale, facility and method. So there was always a weapon risk.

the whole "low prolfieration" thing just came from theoretically being able to spot the facilities doing the converting...though I think leaving the stuff sitting around and waiting for it to decay would also be theoretically somewhat simple to detect.

All in all, it seems like waiting for it to decay naturally is better, unless the ratio of fissible material is significantly worse, sufficient to outweigh the fewer toxic byproducts thing..

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/jsVvsZHeFgU/story01.htm

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