Zirconium

In 1789, German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth analyzed the mineral zircon. The name is derived from the Arabic “zarqun” (gold-colored) or Persian “zargun” (gold-like), inspired by the color of zircon gemstones.
In 1824, Swedish researcher Jöns Jakob Berzelius succeeded in producing impure zirconium metal. However, it was unusable due to contamination.

In 1914, Dutch chemists Jan Hendrik de Boer and Anton Eduard van Arkel succeeded in producing high-purity zirconium for the first time.

Industrial use began in the 1940s with the US atomic program, when it was discovered that zirconium has ideal properties for nuclear reactors. In the 1950s, the US company Kroll Metals developed a zirconium alloy that is still used in reactors today.

Since the 1960s, zirconium materials have been used in hip implants and dental crowns.

Zirconium is used as zirconium dioxide and as zirconium metal.

The most important application of zirconium metal is in nuclear power, where it is an important material for fuel rod cladding in nuclear reactors, as it hardly absorbs neutrons and thus does not hinder the chain reaction. However, this zirconium cladding must not contain hafnium. Since zirconium can handle heat and corrosion in cooling water, it's also used in reactor pressure vessel linings.

In the chemical industry, it's used to protect tanks and heat exchangers from harsh chemicals.

Zirconium metal is also good for superalloys in aircraft turbine blades.

Zirconium dioxide is used in medical implants due to its biocompatibility. Other applications include high-temperature ceramics, semiconductors, and wear-resistant coatings.

Zircon, the most important zirconium mineral, contains approximately 50 percent zirconium dioxide. The hafnium content varies depending on the deposit, but ranges between one and four percent.

Due to the strong chemical similarity between hafnium and zirconium, separating the two elements from each other is very complex and expensive. The preferred methods for separating hafnium and zirconium are ion exchange and solvent extraction techniques.
For some purposes, however, it is not necessary to separate the two elements.

Australia dominates zircon production with around 30 percent. The country also has by far the largest zircon reserves in the world. The Australian company Iluka Resources is also the global market leader.

South Africa is the second-largest producer of zircon, followed by Mozambique.

The USA also produces zircon. The US company Tronox is one of the top three global players in zirconium, along with Rio Tinto.

Global zircon production amounts to around 1.5 million tons. Zirconium metal production is estimated at 6,000 tons.

Chromite and olivine can be used in place of zirconium in some foundry applications. Dolomite and spinel can also replace zirconium in certain high-temperature applications.
Niobium (columbium), stainless steel, and tantalum offer limited substitutes for nuclear applications.
Titanium and synthetic materials can serve as substitutes in some chemical processing plants.
Boron or cadmium-silver-indium alloys are sometimes used in place of hafnium metal in control rods in nuclear power plants.
Zirconium can be used interchangeably with hafnium in certain superalloys.