Zirconium: Properties, Occurrence, Isotopes & Applications

Zirconium (Zr) is an element in the periodic table with the atomic number 40 and the chemical symbol Zr. In the year 1798, Martin Klaproth discovered the element Zirconium. Since zirconium is mostly obtained from the mineral zircon, this substance has been named so. It has a high level of heat and corrosion resistance. It is lighter than steel and has a hardness that is comparable to that of copper. About 30 different types of minerals include zirconium, and zircon is the main one. Zircon is mined annually in excess of 1.5 million tonnes, primarily in South Africa and Australia.

Key Terms: Zirconium, Elements, Atomic Number, Corrosion, Isotopes, Metals, Acids, Temperature, Zirconia Oxide

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What is Zirconium?

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Zirconium is a silver-grey lustrous, strong, malleable, and ductile metal. Zirconium and titanium have certain physical similarities. Zirconium is also very resistant to heat and corrosion. Additionally, it is more durable than copper and lighter than steel. Additionally, small shavings of this metal can spontaneously catch fire in the air at higher temperatures. This metal's powder is black and poses a serious fire risk. Zirconium does not dissolve in acids or alkalis, either.

Zirconium

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Physical Properties of Zirconium

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The physical properties of Zirconium are: 

• Zirconium is a hard, grey, lustrous, and flaky metal with a surface. It also contains a powder that is black or bluish-black in colour. Powdered zirconium is extremely flammable.
• The melting point of zirconium is 1,857°C or 3,375°F. Its density is 6.5 grammes per cubic centimetre, and its boiling point is 3,577°C, or 6,471°F.
• This metal also exhibits a hexagonally close-packed crystal structure, or -Zr, at ambient temperature. This -Zr structure changes to -Zr at 863 °C and stays that way until it reaches its melting point.
• The fact that zirconium is transparent to neutrons is another crucial physical characteristic. Zirconium is regarded as one of the greatest elements for nuclear power reactors because of its transparency.

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Chemical Properties of Zirconium

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ZR element is primarily a dormant element. It will react with oxygen and form a thin layer of zirconium oxide if it is exposed to air. It is shielded from corrosion by this layer. Additionally, zircon oxide doesn't react with either acid or water. It also doesn't react with any hot acids, either. 

The chemical properties of Zirconium are listed below: 

Read More: Ruthenium

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Natural Occurrence of Zirconium

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The surface of the Earth is abundant with zirconium. Around 130 mg/kg of soil contains it, and 0.0256 g/L of seawater does as well. Its lack of availability as a native metal, however, is a reflection of its inherent instability with regard to water. Additionally, there are two extremely popular zirconium ores:

• Zirconium silicate or zircon
• Baddeleyite is a mineral composed of zirconia or zirconia oxide.

Almost every nation on earth has access to this metal. Additionally, there is a significant deposit of this chemical in nations like South Africa, Brazil, Australia, Russia, and others. Australia and South Africa are the two that produce the most of this element out of all of these nations.

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Uses of Zirconium

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• The element is often used in high-temperature applications as it is highly resistant to heat.
• The element's primary uses are giving ceramic metal a white, opaque appearance.
• It is also used as an alloying agent in materials that are exposed to changing environments because of its corrosion-resistant property; and it is used to make glass for televisions.
• Zirconium is used in the space and aviation industries to create high-temperature components for jet engines such as blades, combustors, and vanes.

Zirconia Ceramic Cutting Blades

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Isotopes of Zirconium

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Isotopes are any element's two or more different kinds. The mass number of isotopes distinguishes them from one another. The quantity of neutrons and protons in an element's nucleus is also represented by the mass number.

There are also five naturally occurring isotopes of zirconium: 90, 91, 92, 94, and 96. One of these isotopes, ZR-94, has a half-life of more than 1.10X1017 years and is capable of double beta decay. However, no experimental evidence of this behaviour has yet been found.

Z-96 has a half-life of 2.4X1019 years, in contrast. As a result, it is the zirconium isotope with the longest life. Moreover, Z-90 is the most prevalent and widely accessible of any of these natural isotopes. It makes up about 51.45% of the total supply of zirconium. In contrast, Z-96 makes up about 2.80% of all zirconium output and is the least frequent type.

Naturally-Occurring Isotopes of Zirconium

28 artificial isotopes of Zirconium are present ranging from 78 to 110 according to their atomic mass. Z-93 is the longest living artificial isotope with a half-life of 1.53X106 years whereas Z-110 is the heaviest and the most radioactive isotope. 

Read More: Alloy

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Applications of Zirconium

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Here are some of the most common applications for zirconium, including 

Applications as a Compound

• Zircons are mostly employed directly in high-temperature applications. It is a chemical that is extremely resistant to chemicals and is hard and refractory.
• Additionally, they serve as an opacifier, which aids in giving ceramic materials an opaque and white look. Zirconium is also employed in extreme environments, such as moulds for molten metals, due to its chemical resilience.
• Zirconium dioxides (ZrO₂) are additionally utilised in laboratory crucibles. It serves as refractory material and is utilised in metallurgical furnaces. Zircon and cubic zirconia are also used in jewellery. It also appears in some abrasives, including sandpaper and grinding wheels.

Applications as a Metal

• A relatively little amount of zirconium is converted into metal with extremely specialised uses. As was already said, this material is utilised to create alloys that are exposed to hostile conditions since it has a strong resistance to corrosion. The obvious examples include watch casings, surgical devices, and light filaments. 
• Furthermore, zirconium's high reactivity with oxygen at higher temperatures has been used in a variety of applications, including getters in vacuum tubes and explosive primers.
• Nuclear power facilities are another big use of zirconium addition to these. 

Read More: Holmium

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Things to Remember

• Zirconium is a chemical element with the atomic number 40 in the periodic table. It is represented with the chemical symbol ‘Zr’.
• Zirconium was discovered by Martin Klaproth in 1798 and is named after Zircon, a mineral, which is the most important source of zirconium.
• It is a strong transition metal that forms a variety of organometallic and inorganic compounds.
• It is a lustrous silver-greyish element in appearance and is highly resistant to corrosion and heat. 
• Zirconium is majorly used in high-temperature applications such as blades, combustors, and vanes in jet engines. It is used to confer a white, opaque appearance to ceramic metal, opacifier.
• It is also an alloying agent and is used in surgical instruments, photographic flashbulbs, etc.

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