Uses of zirconium and its compounds

By Thomas Huang October 10th, 2023 417 views

Information on the vast majority of uses of zirconium metals and their compounds is collected and organized here and then presented in text and images, which we hope would improve your reading experience.

Foreword:

This paper is divided into three parts, the first part describes the unique advantages of zirconium and the remaining two parts explain the uses of zirconium and zirconium compounds.

Unique advantages of Zirconium

Because of its corrosion resistance, zirconium has wide uses in many fields.

Characteristics of zirconium
1、Unique Acid resistance performance
（1）Its acid resistance is better than titanium and stainless steel, close to tantalum.
（2）Zirconium has excellent corrosion resistance in 70% sulfuric acid.
(3) Especially, stainless steel and nickel alloys can not be used in 20% sulfuric acid with high temperat ures and 40-60%sulfuric acid with the boiling temperature and below the range, so zirconium has an irreplaceable role in the sulfuric acid environment.
2、Srong Alkaline resistance
Zirconium can resist corrosion in all concentrations and even boiling caustic solutions, surpassing tantalum, niobium, and titanium in corrosion resistance.

Uses of zirconium

Chemical machinery

corrosion-resistant equipment, such as acid and alkali resistant reactors, heat exchangers, container lining, valves, pump housings, blades, stirrers, conduits, etc., and many production of fertilisers, resins, plastics, acid chemical equipment are used zirconium.

Lab reactor
Pump housings

Military industry

Zirconium is used for the manufacture of aircraft and rocket aerospace components and engine components, such as turbine blades, combustion chambers, propellers and so on.

Electronics industry

Zirconium is applied as pipeline valve materials, special high-strength & high-temperature alloy materials, and suction agent of electric vacuum & lighting bulb industry.

Nuclear

Zirconium is an important strategic metal mainly used as a structural material in nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and civil power nuclear reactors, and as a casing for uranium fuel elements, pipelines, vessels and other components outside the reactor.

Making other zirconium products

Firearms sponge zirconium combustibles, civil flash fireworks for.alloy additives and metallurgical deoxidizer.

Uses of zirconium compounds

In addition to metallic zirconium, zirconium compounds also have a very wide and important range of uses.

1	Zirconium silicate	This is a high-quality, inexpensive ceramic glaze emulsifier, used in building ceramics, daily-use ceramics, and electric ceramics color glaze production, applied in high-grade refractory materials, precision casting, emulsified glass (right picture), and other industries.
2	zirconium carbonate	Zirconium carbonate is mainly used as additives for cosmetics and waterproofing agent, flame retardant, opacifier and surface additives for fibre and paper, and the dosage has been increasing in recent years.
3	zirconium chloride	The main raw material for the production of other zirconium products such as zirconium dioxide, zirconium carbonate, zirconium sulfate, zirconium composite, and can also be used in textile, leather, rubber additives, metal surface treatment agents, paint desiccant, refractories, ceramics, catalysts, fireproofing agents and other products.
4	Electrofused zirconium dioxide	Abbreviation: electrofused zirconium, electrofused zirconium oxide, mainly used in the production of glaze and refractory materials.	$refractory brick$
5	zirconium sulphate	Important raw material for leather tanning agent, wool treatment agents and paint surface oxidant, can be used as a catalyst carrier, amino acids and proteins, precipitating agent and deodorant, is also an intermediate raw material for the production of zirconium chemicals and metal zirconium, hafnium.
6	Zirconium dioxide	Used in precision ceramics, electronic ceramics, optical lenses, glass additives, electrolytic zirconium bricks, ceramic pigments, enamels, artificial gemstones, refractory materials, grinding and polishing and other industries and products.
		It can also be used in the manufacture of medical instruments and medical devices, such as artificial joints, implants and dental restorative materials. Elemental zirconium can also be used as a target material in therapeutic radiotherapy.
		In addition, due to its good electrical conductivity and thermal stability, elemental zirconium can be used in the manufacture of electronic components and semiconductor materials, such as transistors, capacitors, resistors, etc., which improves the performance and working life of electronic products.
7	Zirconium oxide	Basic raw material for special ceramics, advanced refractory materials, optical communication devices, and new energy materials.
8	Zirconia structural ceramics	Zirconia special ceramic valves, fiber optic connectors, ceramic knives, watch parts, ceramic pusher blades, and textile ceramics.