Zirconium

Domain	Definition
Metallurgy	A steel-gray strong ductile chiefly tetravalent metallic element with a high melting point that occurs widely in combined form, is highly resistant to corrosion and is used especially in alloys and in refractories and ceramics. Source: European Union. (references)
Chemistry	Chemical element:atomic number 40. Source: European Union. (references)
Mining	A grayish-white lustrous metallic element. Symbol, Zr. Occurs widely, but only in combined form, esp. in the minerals zircon, (ZrSiO4 ), and baddeleyite, (ZrO2 ). Uses include resisting corrosion, as a structural material in nuclear reactors, as an alloying agent, deoxidizer, bonding agent, refractory material, and in low-temperature superconductivemagnets. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Specialty Definition: Zirconium

General

Name, Symbol, Number

Zirconium, Zr, 40

Chemical series

transition metals

Group, Period, Block

4, 5 , d

Density, Hardness

6511 kg/m³, 5

Appearance

Silvery white

Atomic Properties

Atomic weight

91.224 amu

Atomic radius (calc.)

155 (206) pm

Covalent radius

148 pm

van der Waals radius

no data

Electron configuration

[Kr]4d4d²5s²

e^- 's per energy level

2, 8, 18, 10, 2

Oxidation states (Oxide)

4 (amphoteric)

Crystal structure

Hexagonal

Physical Properties

State of matter

Solid (__)

Melting point

2128 K (3371 °F)

Boiling point

4682 K (7968 °F)

Molar volume

14.02 ×1010^-3 m³/mol

Heat of vaporization

58.2 kJ/mol

Heat of fusion

16.9 kJ/mol

Vapor pressure

0.00168 Pa at 2125 K

Speed of sound

3800 m/s at 293.15 K

Miscellaneous

Electronegativity

1.33 (Pauling scale)

Specific heat capacity

0.27 J/(kg*K)

Electrical conductivity

2.36 10⁶/m ohm

Thermal conductivity

22.7 W/(m*K)

1^st ionization potential

640.1 kJ/mol

2^nd ionization potential

1270 kJ/mol

3^rd ionization potential

2218 kJ/mol

4^th ionization potential

3313 kJ/mol

5^th ionization potential

7752 kJ/mol

6^th ionization potential

9500 kJ/mol

Most Stable Isotopes

iso	NA	half-life	DM	DE MeV	DP
⁹⁰Zr	51.45%	Zr is stable with 50 neutrons
⁹¹Zr	11.22%	Zr is stable with 51 neutrons
⁹²Zr	17.15%	Zr is stable with 52 neutrons
⁹³Zr	{syn.}	1.53 E6 y	β^-	0.091	⁹³Nb
⁹⁴Zr	17.38%	Zr is stable with 54 neutrons
⁹⁶Zr	2.8%	>3.8 E19 y	β^-	3.350	⁹⁶Mo

SI units & STP are used except where noted.

Zirconium is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Zr and atomic number 40. A lustrous gray-white, strong transition metal that resembles titanium, zirconium is obtained chiefly from zircon and is very corrosion resistant. Zirconium is primarily used in nuclear reactors for a neutron absorber and to make corrosion-resistant alloys.

Notable Characteristics

It is a grayish-white metal, lustrous and exceptionally corrosion resistant. Zirconium is lighter than steel and its hardness is similar to copper. When it is finely divided, the metal can spontaneously ignite in air, especially at high temperatures (it is much more difficult to ignite the solid metal). Zirconium zinc alloy becomes magnetic at temperatures below 35° K. Common oxidation states of zirconium include +2, +3 and +4.

Applications

The major end uses of zircon (ZrSiO₄) are refractories, foundry sands (including investment casting), and ceramic opacification. Zircon is also marketed as a natural gemstone used in jewelry, and its oxide is processed to produce the diamond stimulant, cubic zirconia. Other uses;

Zirconium has a low absorption cross section for neutrons, which makes it ideal for nuclear energy uses, such as cladding fuel elements. More than 90% of zirconium metal production is consumed by commercial nuclear power generation. Modern commercial scale reactors can use as much as a half-million linear feet of zirconium alloy tubing.
Extensively used by the chemical industry for piping in corrosive environments.
Zirconium is pyrophoric (flammable) and has been used in military incendiaries.
Its carbonate is used in poison ivy lotions.
Impure zirconium oxide, zirconia, is used to make laboratory crucibles that can withstand heat shock, for linings of metallurgical furnaces, and by the ceramic and glass industries as a refractory material.
Human tissues can easily tolerate this metal which makes it suitable for some artificial joints and limbs.
Also used in heat exchangers, as a "getter" in vacuum tubes, in lamp filaments and various specialty alloys.

When alloyed with niobium, zirconium becomes superconductive at low temperatures and is used to make superconductive magnets with possible large-scale electrical power uses.

History

Zirconium (Arabic zarkûn from Persian zargûn meaning "gold like") was discovered in 1789 by Martin Klaproth and isolated in 1824 by Jons Jakob Berzelius.

The zirconium containing mineral zircon, or its variations (jargon, hyacinth, jacinth, or ligure), were mentioned in biblical writings. The mineral was not known to contain a new element until Klaproth analyzed a jargon from from Ceylon in the Indian Ocean. He named the new element Zirkonertz (zirconia). The impure metal was isolated first by Berzelius by heating a mixture of potassium and potassium zirconium fluoride in a small decomposition process conducted in an iron tube. Pure zirconium wasn't prepared until 1914.

Occurrence

Zirconium is never found in nature as a free metal. The principal economic source of zirconium is the zirconium silicate mineral, zircon (ZrSiO₄) which is found in deposits located in Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, and the United States (it is extracted as a dark sooty powder, or as a gray metallic crystalline substance). Zirconium and hafnium are contained in zircon at a ratio of about 50 to 1 and are difficult to separate. Zircon is a coproduct or byproduct of the mining and processing of heavy-mineral sands for the titanium minerals, ilmenite and rutile, or tin minerals. Zirconium is also in 30 other recognized mineral species including baddeleyite. This metal is commercially produced by reduction of the chloride with magnesium in the Kroll Process, and through other methods. Commercial-quality zirconium still has a content of 1 to 3% hafnium.

This element is also abundant in S-type stars, and has been detected in the sun and meteorites. Lunar rock samples brought back from several Apollo program missions to the moon have a very high zirconium oxide content relative to terrestrial rocks.

Isotopes

Naturally occurring zirconium is composed of four stable isotopes and one extremely long-lived radioisotope (Zr-96). The second most stable radioisotope is Zr-93 which has a half life of 1.53 million years. Eighteen other radioisotopes have been characterized. Most of these have half lives that are less than a day except Zr-95 (64.02 days), Zr-88 (63.4 days), and Zr-89 (78.41 hours). The primary decay mode is electron capture before Zr-92 and the primary mode after is beta decay.

Precautions

Compounds containing zirconium are encountered relatively rarely by most people and their inherent toxicity is low. The metal dust can ignite in air and should be regarded as a major fire and explosion hazard. Zirconium has no biological role.

External Links

WebElements.com - Zirconium
EnvironmentalChemistry.com - Zirconium
Zirconium Producers in the United States:
- http://www.twca.com/
- http://www.westinghouse.com/B2b2.asp

Commercial Usage: Zirconium

Domain	Title
References	The World Market for Zirconium Ores and Concentrates: A 2004 Global Trade Perspective (reference) (more reference examples)

Books	Analytical Chemistry of Zirconium and Hafn (reference) Corrosion of Zirconium Alloy Welded Joints (Welding and Surfacing Reviews) (reference) Industrial Applications of Titanium and Zirconium (Astm Special Technical Publication, 917) (reference) Water to Zirconium and Zirconium Compounds, Volume A28, Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 5th Edition (reference) Zirconium in the Nuclear Industry (reference) (more book examples)
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Non-Fiction Usage: Zirconium

Usage Frequency: Zirconium

Expressions: Zirconium

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Zirconium

Modern Translation: Zirconium

Language		Translations for "zirconium"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.
Afrikaans		zirkonium. (various references)

Arabic		‏الزركونيوم عنصر فلزي. (various references)

Chinese		鋯 , �"�. (various references)

Danish		zirkonium, zirconium. (various references)

Dutch		zirkonium. (various references)

Esperanto		zirkonio. (various references)

Finnish		zirkoniumsilikaatti (zircon, zirconium silicate), zirkoniumoksidi (zirconia, zirconium oxide), zirkoni (zircon, zirconium silicate). (various references)

French		zirconium. (various references)

German		Zirkonium. (various references)

Greek		ζιρκόνιο (zircon, zirconium silicate). (various references)

Italian		zirconio. (various references)

Japanese Kanji		ジョセフソン� 子 (a stein, a tankard, amug, bit by bit, cardigan, dilemma, dilettante, dish with mutton and vegetables, Genghis Khan, gin, gin fizz, ginger, ginger ale, giraffe, jin, jingoism, jinx, jitterbug, job, job enlargement, job enrichment, job menu, job rotation, job title, jobhopper, jockey, jodhpurs, John, John Bull, John Travolta, Josephson device, riding breeches, suit, suitcase, super, super high decker, super Schottky diode, super size wide screen, super woofer, supercar, supercharger, supercomputer, superhighway, superimpose, superjet, supermarket, supermarket chain, supernova, super-size, supersonic, superstar, superstation, superstore, supertanker, superviser, supervisor, superwoman, synthesis, vest, waistcoat, Zimbabwe, Zinjanthropus). (various references)

Japanese Katakana		ジルコニウ� . (various references)

Manx		serconiu. (various references)

Pig Latin		irconiumzay

Portuguese		zircónio, zircônio. (various references)

Russian		цирконий (cyrconium). (various references)

Spanish		circonio. (various references)

Turkish		zirkonyum. (various references)

Ukrainian		цирконій. (various references)
Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

Derivations & Misspellings: Zirconium

Rhyming with "Zirconium"

# of Phoneme Matches	Pronunciation	Word(s) rhyming with "zirconium" (pronounced zerkō"nēum)
5	-ō" n ē u m	ammonium, gonium, harmonium, pandemonium, plutonium, polonium.
4	-n ē u m	condominium, geranium, hafnium, millennium, minium, neptunium, selenium, titanium, uranium.
3	-ē u m	alluvium, aquarium, atrium, auditorium, axiom, bacterium, barium, beryllium, cadmium, calcium, cesium, chromium, colloquium, compendium, consortium, crematorium, delirium, deuterium, disequilibrium, emporium, equilibrium, europium, fermium, gallium, gymnasium, helium, Herbarium, holmium, honorarium, idiom, indium, iridium, lawrencium, linoleum, lithium, magnesium, medium, moratorium, myocardium, nephridium, niobium, nobelium, opium, opprobrium, osmium, palladium, paramecium, petroleum, planetarium, Plasmodium, podium, potassium, premium, presidium, promethium, protium, psyllium, radium, requiem, rhodium, sodium, stadium, strontium, superpremium, symposium, tedium, tellurium, thallium, thorium, tritium, vanadium, yttrium.
Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Anagrams: Zirconium

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams
	Words within the letters "c-i-i-m-n-o-r-u-z"
	-3 letters: conium, corium, crinum, ionium, ironic, micron, muonic, zircon.
	-4 letters: cornu, cumin, curio, imino, incur, ionic, micro, minor, mourn, mucin, mucor, mucro, onium, orcin, ricin, runic.
	-5 letters: cion, coin, coir, coni, corm, corn, curn, icon, inro, iron, mini, miri, morn, muni, muon, noir, nori, norm, ruin, unci, unco, uric, zinc, zoic, zori.
	Words containing the letters "c-i-i-m-n-o-r-u-z"
	+1 letter: zirconiums.
	+4 letters: computerizing.
	+5 letters: unromanticized.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

Subject	Topic	Quote
Economic History	South Africa	These include deposits containing metals and industrial minerals such as gold, platinum group metals (PGMs), coal, diamonds, manganese, chromium, vanadium, titanium, phosphates, iron, zirconium, zinc, aluminum-silicates, uranium, vermiculite, asbestos and fluorspar, to name but a few. (references)
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Parts of Speech	Percent	Usage per 100 Million Words	Rank in English
Noun (singular)	100%	10	111,207

Expression	Frequency per Day	Expression	Frequency per Day
zirconium	90	zirconium tubing	4
cubic zirconium	87	aluminum gly tetrachlorohydrex zirconium	4
cubic zirconium ring	13	bolt zirconium	4
zirconium oxide	12	sheet zirconium	4
aluminum zirconium	12	aluminum tetrachlorohydrex zirconium	4
zirconium alloy	10	price zirconium	4
cubic zirconium jewelry	9	zirconium properties	4
chemistry zirconium	8	alloy information properties zirconium	4
cubic diamond engagement ring zirconium	7	chemical zirconium	4
cubic zirconium engagement ring	7	zirconium jewelry	4
valve zirconium	6	cubic zirconium wedding ring	4
plate zirconium	6	zirconium alloy properties	3
fabrication zirconium	6	product zirconium	3
silicate zirconium	6	zirconium earring	3
pipe zirconium	5	application zirconium	3
clad fuel niobium pellet spent zirconium	5	mill product zirconium	3
zirconium ring	5	nitride zirconium	3
bar zirconium	5	welding zircalloy zirconium	3
fitting pipe zirconium	5	clad fuel near near niobium pellet spent zirconium	3
sand zirconium	5	zirconium carbonate	2
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Derivations
	Words beginning with "zirconium": zirconiums. (additional references)
Misspellings
	"Zirconium" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Viroconium, zerconium, zirchonium. (additional references)
Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

Expressions using "zirconium": zirconium dioxide ♦ zirconium oxide ♦ zirconium silicate. Additional references.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Zirconium

Definition: Zirconium

Zirconium

Noun

Specialty Definition: Zirconium

Specialty Definition: Zirconium

Applications

History

Precautions

Synonym: Zirconium

Crosswords: Zirconium

Commercial Usage: Zirconium

References

Books

Non-Fiction Usage: Zirconium

Usage Frequency: Zirconium

Expressions: Zirconium

Frequency of Internet Keywords: Zirconium

Modern Translation: Zirconium

Afrikaans

Arabic

Chinese

Danish

Dutch

Esperanto

Finnish

French

German

Greek

Italian

Japanese Kanji

Japanese Katakana

Manx

Pig Latin

Portuguese

Russian

Spanish

Turkish

Ukrainian

Derivations & Misspellings: Zirconium

Derivations

Misspellings

Rhyming with "Zirconium"

Anagrams: Zirconium

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

INDEX