ZIRCONIUM

HISTORY

• When: 1789
• Where: Berlin, Germany
• (Occurs in grains and sand deposits)
• Who: Martin Heinrich Klaproth

HISTORY (CONT.)

• What was it used for?
• It wasn't usually used until the 1800s when the forms of the metal
• Could be isolated though they were impure and very brittle
• Only one person discovered it at a time (first discovered, first isolated)

HISTORY (CONT.)

• Origin: Arabic
• Language: Persian
• Symbol: Zr

SOURCES

• Countries: Australia, USA, Sri Lanka, Brasil, South Africa, India
• US State: Oregon, Utah, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio

SOURCES (CONT.)

• Mined
• Process:
• Collected from costal waters, after the shovel has scooped up
• The gravel And sand they are purified by spiral concentrators
• Which separate by basis of density. The purest concentrates...

SOURCES (CONT.)

• Process (cont.)
• Of the zircon are shipped to end product manufactures
• The less pure go to refractories
• It covers 70.8% of the earth and 6% of the moon's surface

PROPERTIES

• Looks
• Physical state: grayish white, soft,ductile, malleable
• (Powder is black and hazardous)
• Melting point: 3,371 degrees F
• Boiling point: 7,968 degrees F

PROPERTIES (CONT.)

• Reactive: Yes! It can ignite spontaneously
• It reacts to air (assuming that means oxygen)

PROPERTIES (CONT.)

• Unique properties:
• Zirconium is extremely resistant to heat and corrosion
• Doesn't easily absorb neutrons

PROPERTIES (CONT.)

• Is it unique or similar?
• It is similar because it's reactive, it has chemical and physical
• Properties Similar to those of titanium
• It is also similar to steel and copper

PROPERTIES(CONT.)

• Yes because it is very reactive and they used it
• In nuclear applications

ATOM PICTURE

PROPERTIES (CONT.)

• What is the element worth?
• $16.00 per 100 grams

USES

• 1. It was used I. Alloys such as zircaloy which is used
• In Nuclear applications
• 2. Zirconium 95 is one of the radionuclides involved
• In atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons
• 3. It has no benefaction adverse effect on living organisms

USES (CONT)

• 3. (Cont.)
• Making it a good material for artificial limbs

THANK YOU