How does zirconium affect humans?

ZIRCON – mineral, zirconium orthosilicate. English name: Zircon Other names (synonyms): calyptolite, orvillite, ostranite, tachyaphaltite, oerstedite, oerstedtite.
Tourmali is an obsolete name for zircon, used before the discovery of tourmalines.
Symbolic designation of zircon – Zrn Isolated and described for the first time: The zircon stone has been known since ancient times, long before its formal description.
According to the International Mineralogical Association (IMA), zircon was described in 1789: the name zircon is mentioned in the publication “Mineralsystem des Herrn Inspektor Werners mit dessen Erlaubnis herausgegeben von CAS Hoffmann” – Mineral system of Mr. Inspector Werner, published with the permission of the latter K.A.S . Hoffmann.
The publication states that the name zircon was used by Werner in 1783 (AG Werner, 1749-1817, German geologist).
IMA considers Sri Lanka to be the country where zircon was first discovered. Origin of the name: According to one version, the name of zircon comes from the Arabic words: “tsar” – gold and “gun” – color. New items with Zircon in the product catalog Products with Zircon are presented in the following categories:
Classification

• class Silicates
  • subclass Island orthosilicates (non-osilicates)
    • Zircon group
      • mineral Zircon
        • Hyacinth variety

        Azorite (azorite) – trade name for zircon from the Azores Islands
        Akroit – colorless zircon
        Alvit (alvite) – zircon with impurities of hafnium (up to 7%) and thorium
        Arshinovit (arshinovite) – opaque amorphous zircon of green or brown-green color, containing thorium, uranium and rare earths; According to the appearance of the crystals, it is divided into malakon and cyrtolite.
        Auerbachit (auerbachite) – zircon found near Zhdanov (now Mariupol) in Ukraine (now DPR, Russia)
        Beccarite (beccarite) – a variety of zircon with optical anomalies, first discovered in Ceylon
        Gamma zircon = Arshinovit
        Hafnium zircon – zircon with hafnium impurities (up to 31%)
        Helzirkon – pseudomorphosis of zircon after catapleite
        Hyacinth (hyacinth) – transparent zircon of red-brown color; sometimes transparent zircons of pink or honey-yellow color are classified as hyacinths
        Jargon (jargon, jargoon, jargounce, jacounce) – transparent straw-yellow zircon
        Mature diamond (matura diamond) – a misnomer for colorless zircons
        Malacon (malacon, malakon) – metamict bipyramidal zircon containing thorium, uranium (th > U) and water
        Naegit – zircon with impurities of rare earth elements, thorium and tantalum
        Oyamalit (oyamalite) – zircon with impurities of rare earth elements and phosphorus
        Ribeirite (ribeirite) – hydrous zircon with yttrium
        Starlit (starlite) – blue zircon; the color is unstable, as it is usually the result of calcination
        Rushing = Starlite
        Uranium zircon (uraniferous zircon) – zircon with uranium impurities
        Hagatalite – zircon with rare earth elements and niobium
        Zirconite (zirconite) – (1) synonym for zircon, (2) transparent brown zircon
        Cyrtolite (cyrtolite) – metamict prismatic zircon containing thorium, uranium (th < U) and water
        Engelhardit – milky white zircon, named after the Russian scientist V. Engelhard
        Yamaguchilit (yamaguchilite) – zircon with impurities of rare earth elements and phosphorus
        Yargon = Jargon
        Яrgun = Jargon
        Yacinth (jacinth) – an obsolete old Russian term: (1) synonym for zircon, (2) synonym for hyacinth

        

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        Zirconium is an indispensable material for nuclear reactors. Image: Adriana Vargas/IAEA

        Zirconium, a metal isolated from the zircon mineral, is not very widely known, but its amazing properties make it indispensable in nuclear energy, the chemical industry, medicine and many other industries. Since ancient times, zircon has been used to make jewelry and ornaments. It is believed that the word “zircon” comes from the Persian zargun, which means “like gold.”

        1. Zirconium is a shiny silver-gray metal

        Zirconium has high ductility and is also extremely resistant to corrosion and heat. Its symbol on the periodic table is Zr and its atomic number is 40. It melts at 1855 degrees Celsius (°C) and boils at 4409°C. It is not subject to corrosion under the influence of acids, alkalis and sea water.

        2. The mineral zircon is quite widespread on the surface of the Earth

        Zirconium is mainly isolated from zircon, a mineral often found in the sands of coastal waters. This mineral is scattered in the depths of the Earth, but it does not occur in the form of large deposits. Today, the main producers of zirconium are Australia, Indonesia, China, Ukraine and South Africa. Beyond Earth, this element has been found in stars, including the Sun, and in lunar rocks.

        3. Zirconium was discovered in 1789

        Zirconium was first discovered by the German chemist Martin Klaproth in a zircon stone brought from the island of Sri Lanka. Pure, impurity-free zirconium was first obtained in 1925. However, it did not find widespread industrial use until the late 1940s. It was during those years that zirconium became an important technical material used in the nuclear industry.

        4. Zirconium is mainly used in nuclear power

        Zirconium is an indispensable component in the production of nuclear energy. It is primarily used as a cladding for nuclear reactor fuel rods. There are several reasons why zirconium is an ideal material for cladding uranium pellets: the metal is extremely resistant to corrosion and high temperatures, and also absorbs almost no neutrons produced by nuclear fission. The latter is necessary to start and maintain a chain reaction in the reactor core and stable energy production.

        

        The cladding of nuclear reactor fuel rods is mainly made of zirconium alloys. These long metal tubes contain pellets of fissile material, usually uranium oxide. (Photo: (1) Adobe Stock (2/4) Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (3) Atomic-energy.ru / Image: Adriana Vargas/IAEA)

        5. Zirconium has other non-nuclear applications

        Zirconium is extremely resistant to corrosion and many acids and alkalis, which is why it is widely used in the chemical industry. Zirconium compounds are used in ceramics, abrasives, lamp filaments, jet engines and spacecraft parts. Due to its biocompatibility and durability, zirconium dioxide is also used in medicine as a material for dental and surgical implants. Additionally, zirconium dioxide, also known as cubic zirconia, is a gemstone. This synthesized material can serve as a replacement for diamonds and other precious stones.

        Want to learn even more about zirconium?

        The IAEA has released The Metallurgy of Zirconium, a publication providing overview information on this metal, its mining, properties and applications in nuclear power.

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