Fusion Technology Startup Proposes Converting Inexpensive Mercury into Gold Using Their Fusion Reactor Design
San Francisco-based energy startup, Marathon Fusion, has proposed a groundbreaking plan for synthesising gold particles via nuclear transmutation in a fusion reactor. The proposal, detailed in a preprint, could have significant implications for both the gold mining industry and the nuclear energy sector.
The Science Behind the Proposal
Marathon Fusion's fusion reactor mimics the sun's conditions to produce high-energy neutrons through deuterium-tritium fusion. These neutrons induce nuclear transmutation, converting the mercury isotope mercury-198 into mercury-197, which then decays over approximately 64 hours into stable gold-197, the only stable gold isotope.
Feasibility of the Method
The core scientific principle—nuclear transmutation—is well established, and Marathon Fusion employs fusion-produced neutrons to drive the reaction efficiently. Previous methods like particle accelerators could synthesize gold, but only in very small amounts at prohibitive costs. Marathon’s reactor is the first to claim mass scalable production.
The process reportedly does not compromise fuel self-sufficiency or power output of the fusion plant, as it uses the neutrons produced as part of the fuel cycle, thereby not detracting from energy generation. The startup claims a one-gigawatt fusion plant could produce about 5,000 kilograms of gold annually, a scale far beyond previous laboratory synthesis.
Economic Viability
Marathon Fusion’s techno-economic modeling suggests that the revenue from gold production could rival or even double the economic value generated from electricity production within the same fusion facility, thus dramatically changing fusion power plant economics. This gold production could create a significant new revenue stream, potentially shortening the timeline for fusion energy commercialization by attracting investment driven by the lucrative precious metals market.
However, some of the produced gold isotopes may be radioactive and require storage for up to 18 years to ensure safety, which could pose logistical and cost considerations.
Potential Implications
Gold Mining
- Could substantially reduce the demand for traditional gold mining, lowering environmental and cost pressures.
- May disrupt global gold markets by increasing supply through artificial synthesis.
Nuclear Energy
- Adds a valuable byproduct revenue stream, improving fusion's commercial viability.
- Encourages integration of precious metal synthesis with energy production.
- May accelerate fusion energy adoption and funding.
Broader Scientific & Industrial Applications
- Technique might be extended for producing other valuable isotopes and materials like palladium and medicinal isotopes.
- Enables new applications such as nuclear batteries.
Caveats and Considerations
- The primary research has not yet undergone full peer review, though initial expert feedback is positive.
- The long-term environmental and safety aspects related to radioactive isotopes generated will require careful management.
- The economic model assumes successful large-scale fusion reactor deployment, which is still under development globally.
If successful, this method could potentially achieve modern alchemy without the use of giant particle accelerators. Approximately 3,000 metric tons of gold are mined each year. The proposed method, if implemented, could revolutionise the gold mining industry and the nuclear energy sector, assuming technical scale-up and regulatory challenges are overcome.
- Marathon Fusion's fusion reactor leverages space technology to simulate solar conditions, producing gold particles through a process called nuclear transmutation, which could have significant implications for both the gold mining industry and the nuclear energy sector.
- The use of AI and technology in Marathon Fusion's proposed method enables the efficient synthesis of gold on a mass scale, far exceeding previous laboratory synthesis methods in terms of production quantity.
- The gold produced through Marathon Fusion's process could lead to various economic benefits, such as creating a significant new revenue stream, potentially shortening the timeline for fusion energy commercialization, and disrupting global gold markets by increasing supply.
