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Zirconium Overview
Zirconium is a grayish-white metal, never found as a free metal in nature. When finely divided, the metal can spontaneously ignite in air, especially at high temperature. Zirconium is lighter than steel and its hardness is similar to copper. Zirconium is exceptionally resistant to corrosion by many common acids and alkalis, by sea water, and by other agents. Alloyed with zinc, zirconium becomes magnetic at temperatures below 35°K. Zirconium and hafnium are contained in zircon at a ratio of about 50 to 1 and are difficult to separate. Reactor-grade zirconium is essentially free of hafnium. Zircaloy is an important alloy developed specifically for nuclear applications.
The principal economic source of zirconium is the zirconium silicate mineral, zircon (ZrSiO 4 ), whose deposits are primarily found in Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, and the Unite States. |
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