Zirconium

About Zirconium Metal (ZR) and Zirconium Alloys

Zirconium (ZR) is a highly corrosion resistant metal that is us used for many products for specialized chemical environments (primarily acetic and hydrochloric acids). Some include pumps, valves, nuclear daim ntawv thov, tshuaj, hlab ntsha, heat exchangers and more. The nuclear power industry uses nearly 90% of the zirconium produced each year. Zirconium is also used as an alloying agent in steel, to make some types of surgical equipment and as a getter, a material that combines with and removes trace gases form vacuum tubes. Zirconium metal is weldable and formable.

Zirconium 702 offers excellent corrosion protection with resistance to stress-corrosion cracking and crevice corrosion. It’s often used for chemical processing. Alloyed with 2 ntsaub 3 percent Columbium, nqaij nyug 705 is significantly stronger and more ductile than zirconium 702 with almost equal corrosion resistance, making it the alloy of choice for most zirconium fasteners. In addition to resisting HCl at all concentrations and at temperatures above the boiling temperature, zirconium and its alloys also have excellent resistance in sulfuric acid at temperatures above boiling and concentrations to 70%. Corrosion rate in nitric acid is less than 1 mil/year at temperatures above boiling and concentrations to 90%. The metals also resist most organics such as acetic acid and acetic anhydride as well as citric, lactic, tartaric, oxalic, tannic, and chlorinated organic acids. Kuj ob peb metals besides zirconium yuav siv tau nyob rau hauv cov tshuaj uas yuav tsum tau muaj cov acids thiab alkalis. Tiam sis, zirconium muaj tsis muaj kuj hydrofluoric acid thiab yog ceev rov, Txawm tias thaum tsawg concentrations tsawg heev. Muaj cov 4 Hom corrosion resistant alloyed zirconium nyob rau hauv kev lag luam tshuaj: Zr702, Zr704, Zr705 thiab Zr706, thov sib txawv nruab nrab thiab mob. Cov plaub zirconium alloy corrosion kuj yuav luag tib yam, Tab sis lawv mechanical zog yog txawv. Zr705 lub zog yog ob zaug ntawm Zr702. Feem ntau Zr705 siv nyob rau hauv cov tshuaj uas muaj ib tug yooj yim dua rau intensity. Tab sis nyob rau hauv sulfuric acid uas muaj FeCl3, Zr702 thiab Zr704 corrosion resistant zog yog zoo dua Zr705 thiab Zr706. Zr706 muaj txaus lub zog thiab siab elongation thiab feem ntau siv nyob rau hauv kev kub ntxhov exchanger.

Zirconium is also highly resistant to heat and corrosion, and it also forms many useful compounds and alloys. These strengths make it an ideal component for nuclear reactions, and it is also used in laboratory equipment, metallurgy and surgical appliances. Jet engines and gas turbines may also use zirconium and zirconium alloys to prevent metals from warping due to high heat exposure. Zirconium (tsis hnov lus: ZR, naj npawb: 40) Yog ib tug Block D, Haiv 4, caij nyoog 5 lub caij uas muaj ib qho atomic yuag 91.224. Zirconium Bohr ModelThe number of electrons in each of Zirconium’s shells is 2, 8, 18, 10, 2 thiab nws cov electron configuration yog [Kr] 4d2 5s2. The zirconium atom has a radius of 160 pm thiab ib Van der Waals radius ntawm 186 pm. Zirconium was discovered by Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789 and first isolated by Jöns Jakob Berzelius in 1824. Nyob rau hauv nws daim ntawv elemental, zirconium has a silvery white appearance that is similar to titanium.

Zirconium’s principal mineral is zircon (zirconium silicate). Elemental Zirconium is commercially produced as a byproduct of titanium and tin mining and has many applications as a opacifier and a refractory material. It is not found in nature as a free element. The name of zirconium comes from the mineral zircon, the most important source of zirconium, and from the Persian wordzargun, meaning gold-like.