A California startup has learned how to turn mercury into gold.

Turning into gold has long been the dream of alchemists. But now, that dream is becoming a reality.

The physical processes involved in transforming one element into another are well understood. They have been tested for decades in colliders. However, the costs associated with producing gold this way can be astronomical, while the yield is often minuscule.

The startup Marathon Fusion from (California, USA) has proposed a completely different approach. Researchers utilized the radioactivity of neutron particles in a digital twin of a thermonuclear reactor to convert one form of mercury (mercury-198) into another (mercury-197). Ultimately, the unstable isotope mercury-197 decayed, resulting in a stable form of gold: gold-197.

This decay process involves one subatomic particle spontaneously transforming into two (or more) lighter particles.
The Marathon Fusion team calculated that a thermonuclear power plant could produce several tons of gold per gigawatt of thermal power in just one year of operation.

The key is to have sufficiently energetic neutrons to initiate the decay of. If this can be achieved, the technology would represent a significant scientific breakthrough. But will it be profitable? That remains to be seen.

What Did the Inventors Report?

To extract gold from mercury, a large flow of neutrons (a measure of neutron radiation intensity) is required. This can be achieved using a standard fuel mixture for thermonuclear reactors—deuterium and tritium (both isotopes of hydrogen).

Neutrons easily penetrate matter and, as they slow down, scatter off atomic nuclei. To convert mercury-198 into gold, neutrons with energies exceeding 6 million electron volts are necessary, according to Science Alert.

For their experiments, Marathon Fusion employs a digital twin of a thermonuclear reactor: a computer model that simulates the fusion reaction and the radioactive processes that result from it.

Before scientists can create a commercial thermonuclear reactor, they will need to overcome numerous challenges. Among these are the development of new materials and understanding the scientific aspects necessary for managing a system that continuously generates energy, as well as developing artificial intelligence systems to help sustain the plasma fusion reaction.

But There Are Some Caveats

In theory, it is possible to produce gold from mercury in a thermonuclear reactor. However, until commercial thermonuclear reactors are developed, Marathon Fusion’s research using a digital twin will remain untested.

Moreover, any gold produced in a thermonuclear reactor will initially be radioactive. Experts believe it will take 14 to 18 years before it can be deemed safe for use, as reported by The Times.

As atomic physicists and particle physicists well know, creating a digital twin for an experiment can easily overlook important physical effects and critical nuances.

Another challenge may be processing gold-197 into usable forms of pure gold. However, this is unlikely to deter long-term investors.

Currently, the technology remains an attractive proposition on paper. However, it may not be long before a new gold rush begins in California.

Photo: pixabay.com