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ZirconiumZirconium is a very strong, malleable, ductile, lustroussilver-gray metal. Its chemical and physical properties are

similar to those of titanium. Zirconium is extremelyresistant to heat and corrosion. Zirconium is lighter thansteel and its hardness is similar to copper. When it is nelydivided, the metal can spontaneously ignite in air,especially at high temperatures. Zirconium powder isblack and is regarded as very dangerous re haard.Zirconium does not dissolve in acids and alkalis.

ApplicationsZirconium is used in alloys such as ircaloy, which is usedin nuclear applications since it does not readily absorbneutrons. !lso used in catalytic converters, percussioncaps and furnace bricks. "addeleyite and impureirconium #irconia$ are used in lab crucibles.

%he ma&or end uses of ircon #Zr'i()$ are refractories,ceramic opacication and foundry sands. Zircon is alsomarketed as a natural gemstone used in &ewelry. %hemetal also has many other uses, among them inphotographic *ashbulbs and surgical instruments, to makethe glass for television, in the removal of residual gasesfrom electronic vacuum tubes, and as a hardening agentin alloys, especially steel. %he paper and packagingindustries are nding that irconium compounds makegood surface coatings because they have excellent waterresistance and strength.

Zirconium in the environmentZirconium is not a particularly rare element but becauseits most common mineral, ircon, is highly resistant toweatering it is only slightly mobile in the environment.

Zirconium is more than twice as abundant as copper andinc and more than + times more abundant than lead.

%he chief ores are ircon #Zr'i()$, which is mined in!ustralia, '! and 'ri anka, and baddeleyite #Zirconiumoxide Zr(/$ which is mined in "rasil. World production is inexcess of 0. tonnes per year of ircon, and 1tonnes of the metal are produced. %he estimated reservesexceed a billion tonnes. !ustralia, 'outh !frica, India, 'rianka and the '! have vast deposits of ircon and

irconia sands.Health efects o zirconium

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Zirconium and its salts generally have low systemictoxicity. %he estimated dietary intake is about 2 microg.3ost passes through the gut without being adsorbed, andthat which is adsorbed tends to accumulate slightly more

in the skeleton than in tissue.Zirconium 02 is one of the radionuclides involved inatmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. It is among thelong-lived radionuclides that have produced and willcontinue to produce increased cancers risk for decadesand centuries to come.

Environmental effects of zirconium

Zirconium is unlikely to present a haard to theenvironment.While a4uatic plants have a rapid uptake of solubleirconium, land plants have little tendency to adsorb it,and indeed 15 of plants that have been tested showedno irconium to be present at all.