What is Zirconium?

Not to be confused with “cubic” zirconia, which the crystalline form of zirconium dioxide, used as a low-cost substitute for diamonds, zirconium is a non-toxic metal discovered in 1789. The metal has several properties that qualify it as a strategic metal. Zirconium is a corrosion resistant metal which makes it useful as a hardening agent for alloys that are exposed to aggressive environments. However, zirconium’s most useful property is its poor ability to absorb neutrons, making it an important component in cladding fuel rods in nuclear reactors. Zirconium alloys have a high heat resistance, which make them very useful in aerospace and aeronautic applications. Zirconium is applied to parts like combusters, and blades and in jet engines as well as gas turbines, through an encasement of thin ceramic layers that are composed of a zirconium mixture.