Thorium trichloride

Thorium trichloride
Names
	IUPAC name Trichlorothorium
	Other names Thorium(III) chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	15123-26-9;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChemSpider	123372;
PubChem CID	139894 (charge error);
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID90164741;
	InChI InChI=1S/3ClH.Th/h3*1H;/q;;;+3/p-3 Key: LQPUBIDKGBFLMP-UHFFFAOYSA-K;
	SMILES Cl[Th](Cl)Cl;
Properties
Chemical formula	Cl3Th
Molar mass	338.39 g·mol−1
Appearance	crystals
Related compounds
Related compounds	Americium trichloride, uranium trichloride
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Thorium trichloride is a binary inorganic compound of thorium metal and chlorine with the chemical formula ThCl₃.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Synthesis

The compound can be prepared by reducing thorium tetrachloride at 800°C:^[4]

3Th + ThCl₄ → 4ThCl₃

Also a reaction of both elements:^[5]

2Th + 3Cl₂ → 2ThCl₃

Other reactions are also known.^[6]

The compound forms crystals of the uranium trichloride crystal system.

Above 630 °C thorium trichloride dissociates into the dichloride and tetrachloride.

Thorium trichloride is supposed^{[clarification needed]} to be used in a dual fluid reactor as reactor fuel.^[7]

^ Lau, K. H.; Hildenbrand, D. L. (1990). "High-temperature equilibrium studies of the gaseous thorium chlorides". J. Chem. Phys. 92 (10): 6124. Bibcode:1990JChPh..92.6124L. doi:10.1063/1.458335. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
^ Buschbeck, Karl-Christian (1985). Gmelin Handbook of Inorganic Chemistry. Springer-Verlag. p. 34. ISBN 978-3-540-93515-5. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
^ Bagnall, Kenneth W.; Kanellakopulos, Basil (21 December 1984). Coordination Compounds. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 22. ISBN 978-3-540-93515-5. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
^ Annual Summary Research Report of Chemistry, Engineering, Metallurgy, Physics and Reactor Divisions. Ames Laboratoty. 1965. p. 1-9. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
^ Bulletin. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1962. p. 116. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
^ Reactor Fuel Processing. U.S. Argonne National Laboratory. 1961. p. 42. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
^ "The Dual Fluid Reactor" (PDF). Institute for Solid-State Nuclear Physics gGmbH. Retrieved 5 April 2024.