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On the morning of July 2, 1956 an explosion involving scrap Thorium occurred at the Sylvania Electric Products Metallurgical Laboratory. Sylvania was experimenting with large scale production of Thorium metal from Thorium dioxide. Part of the process of shutting down this experiment was the reprocessing and burning of thorium metal powder sludges that went unprocessed during the experiment. It was during the incineration of the this material that the explosion occurred.
It should be noted that at the time the metallurgical properties of Thorium were not well understood. However
More information can be found from the foia responce at http://ma.mbe.doe.gov/execsec/foia/request/42070.pdf
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