History
The name zircon is thought to originate from the Persian word "Zargun"
that describes the color of the gemstone now known as zircon. This mineral
or it variations have been mentioned as far back as biblical writings. The
mineral was not known to contain a new element until Klaproth in 1789
analyzed a stone from Ceylon and found a new earth that he called zirconia.
Berzelius first isolated the impure zirconium metal in 1824 by heating a
mixture of potassium and potassium zirconium fluoride in a decomposition
process they had developed.
Sources
Zirconium is found in abundance in S-type stars and has been identified in
the sun and in meteorites. Analysis of lunar rock samples collected during
the Apollo missions to the moon show a surprisingly high concentration of
zirconium oxide compared to terrestrial stones.
Processing
Naturally occurring zirconium contains five isotopes and fifteen others
are known to exist. The principle ore is pure ZrO2 in crystalline form
that also contains around 1% hafnium. Zirconium is produced commercially
by reduction of chloride with magnesium and other methods. When in powder
form the metal may ignite spontaneously especially when exposed to high
temperatures. The solid metal is much more difficult to ignite. The
toxicity of zirconium compounds is low and you will usually find the
presence of hafnium in the ores that are very difficult to remove.
Commercial grades of zirconium usually have from 1-3% hafnium present in
their chemistry.
Applications
Zirconium has many different uses due to its exceptional resistance to
corrosion by acids and alkalis, sea water, other agents and its low
absorption cross section for neutrons. Reactor grade zirconium that is
essentially free of hafnium is used for cladding of fuel elements and
accounts for 90% of all zirconium production. A single commercial reactor
may have a half million feet of zirconium alloy tubing in it. Other uses
include getters in vacuum tubes, photoflash bulbs, lamp filaments,
explosive primers and when alloyed with niobium as a super conducting
magnet among others.
H Cross Company can provide zirconium in wire, ribbon, strip, sheet and
foil sizes to suit your particular needs. Please refer to our
Standard Dimension and Tolerances page for general size ranges of products. If you
do not see your required size list contact us via
email or phone for
further information or assistance.
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