Living earth decomposed granite series#

However, some large bodies of igneous rock contain higher-than-average amounts of uranium and thorium. Uranium can be extracted from richer ores much more cheaply than this. The price of producing uranium from average granite is estimated at around $340 per pound. In dollars and cents the picture is not as bright. Thus, by burning three tons of coal one gets a profit, in energy, amounting to 997 or more tons of coal. This cost includes the power devoted to quarrying the rock, crushing it, disposal of wastes, transportation, acids, water pumping, shop facilities and other considerations. This simple process extracts only 25% of the radioactive materials but even on this basis, 100 tons of granite yields nuclear fuels that can produce the same energy as is obtained from burning more than 1000 tons of coal.įrom the standpoint of energetics it “costs” less than three tons of coal to mine 100 tons of granite and extract its radioactive ingredients.

Living earth decomposed granite series#

These may than be separated from the acid by a series of straightforward chemical steps. The acid dissolves and retains important percentages of the uranium and thorium.

The rock merely needs to be crushed to gain size and leached for a short time in dilute hydrochloric acid. The two elements are concentrated in accessory minerals that make up less than one percent of the weight of the granite. Is it possible to unlock this energy from the rock? These radioactive elements are equal in energy to the power obtained from 5000 tons of coal. In 100 tons of average granite there are 14 ounces of uranium and about two pounds of thorium. Other ingredients include two tons of magnesium, 180 pounds of manganese, 70 pounds of chromium, 40 pounds of nickel, 30 pounds of vanadium, 20 pounds of copper, 10 pounds of tungsten and four pounds of lead. The same rock holds immense quantities of valuable metals.Ĭonsider this: 100 tons of granite, a chunk somewhat larger than an automobile, contains eight tons of aluminum and five tons of iron. The energy in a single ton of granite is equal to 50 tons of coal. Harrison Brown | Professor of Geochemistry, California Institute of TechnologyĬommon, ordinary igneous rock contains all the energy that civilization can use. Staff Atomic Energy THERE’S ATOMIC ENERGY IN GRANITE: CAN WE UNLOCK IT?īy Dr.