Zirconium

CRITICAL MINERAL

What is Zirconium

For over 2000 years, zircon (Zr) has been used as a gemstone. Today it is used in a wide range of sectors due to its many beneficial qualities such as manufacturing products and industrial processes. Zircon is a zirconium silicate mineral with the chemical formula ZrSiO4. Its physical and chemical characteristics are comparable to those of titanium. Zircon occurs in a wide range of colors such as yellow, brown, red, and colorless. Colorless zircon has a brightness and fire that rivals those of diamond, which can be used as a lower-cost alternative for diamond. It has a hardness of 6-7.5 Mohs, melting point of 1852 °C and a boiling point of 4409 °C, a specific gravity of 4.7, and a tetragonal crystal structure.

Malleable
0
Ductile
0
Stable
0
Non-corrosive
0
Heat Resistant
0
Alloy
0
Shock Resistant
0
CRITICAL MINERAL

Aplication & Uses

Manufacturing

Manufacturing high-temperature resist parts-combustors, blades, and vanes in jet engines

Nuclear

Used as an alloy to form zircaloy which is used in nuclear reactors since it does not readily absorb neutrons only at a higher rate.

Gemstones

Used in jewelry as a natural gemstone. Occurs in several colors like red, yellow, clear, and brown.

Pigments

Mixed with vanadium or praseodymium makes blue and yellow pigments for glazing pottery.

CRITICAL MINERAL

Zirconium Consumption

Around 1,2 Mt of zircon were consumed worldwide in 2006, with ceramics (51%) and foundries (15%), refractory (15%), chemicals (9%), Tv glass (8%) and other (2%). In 20219, the ceramic industry accounted for (52%), refractory and foundry (25%), chemicals and fused (20%), Tv glass and other 3% (Zircomet, 2020). Combined, China(1.2Mt), Australia (711K tons), and the United States (98K tons) consume 78% share of the total volume of the world's zirconium ore and concentrate (Index Box, 2022). China commands most of the worldwide market share for zirconium, accounting for about 50% of the total revenue as is the largest consumer and producer of ceramic tiles were more than 1,450 ceramic tile manufacturers in the country. In the current situation, China is gaining recognition as the nuclear energy consumer with the quickest rate of growth. It is anticipated that demand for zirconium would rise as more attention is paid to developing nuclear power resources (Modor intelligence, 2022). According to the Mordor intelligence report of 2022, following countries below are the biggest consumer of zirconium.

  1. China
    2. US
    3. Japan
    4. European Union
    5. India
    6. Russia
    7. Spain
    8. Rest of the World
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