noun

• Thorium dioxide, a white refractory solid used in making gas mantles and other materials for high-temperature applications.

  Chemical formula: ThO₂

  ‘The Austrian chemist, C. von Welsbach, perfected the thoria gas mantle that improves the light output of coal-gas flame and to this day has not been improved significantly.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘The major disadvantage of thoria are the environmental issues due to the exposure to the alpha particles emitted by thorium.’