thoria

American  

[thawr-ee-uh, thohr-] / ˈθɔr i ə, ˈθoʊr- /

noun

Chemistry.

1. a white, heavy, water-insoluble powder, ThO 2 , used chiefly in incandescent mantles, as the Welsbach gas mantle.

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thoria British  

/ ˈθɔːrɪə /

noun

1. another name for thorium dioxide

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Etymology

Origin of thoria

First recorded in 1835–45; thori(um) + -a ⁴

Example Sentences

The specific gravity of pure thoria is 10.2207 to 10.2198.

From Scientific American Supplement, No. 365, December 30, 1882 by Various

It has been found that a mantle in which thoria is used alone is a poor light-source, but that when a small amount of ceria is added the mantle glows brilliantly.

From Artificial Light Its Influence upon Civilization by Luckiesh, Matthew

Other authorities hold that mantles for acetylene, should contain other rare earths besides the thoria and ceria of which the coal-gas mantles almost wholly consist.

From Acetylene, the Principles of Its Generation and Use A Practical Handbook on the Production, Purification, and Subsequent Treatment of Acetylene for the Development of Light, Heat, and Power by Leeds, F. H. (Frank Henley)

His first mantles were unsatisfactory, but they were improved in 1886 by the use of thoria, an oxide of thorium, in conjunction with other rare-earth oxides.

From Artificial Light Its Influence upon Civilization by Luckiesh, Matthew

Later lamps consisted of "glowers" about one inch long made from a mixture of zirconia and yttria, and finally a mixture of ceria, thoria, and zirconia was used.

From Artificial Light Its Influence upon Civilization by Luckiesh, Matthew