#Zr September 24

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For the month of September 2024 several of us are going to take on the 30-Day Periodic Elements Coach4aday Challenge. The concept is to show the symbol of one of the 118 elements and give a few facts about it. Today I have chosen Zr.

Zr is the symbol for Zirconium

30-Day Elements Challenge Guidelines

Like previous challenges there are no hard and fast rules to participate. There are a few suggested guidelines.

1. Each day in September 2024 show the symbol for one particular element.
2. Share at least one fact about that element
3. If so inclined use the hash tag #Coach4adayChallenge on social media platforms

September 24th-Zr

Here are three facts about Zirconium.

Corrosion-Resistant Metal: Zirconium is highly resistant to corrosion, even in harsh environments like seawater and strong acids. This property makes it valuable in industries such as chemical processing, nuclear reactors, and biomedical devices, where durability and resistance to corrosion are critical.

Used in Nuclear Reactors: Zirconium plays a crucial role in the nuclear industry due to its low neutron absorption capacity. It is used to make cladding for fuel rods in nuclear reactors, allowing the efficient passage of neutrons while protecting the fuel from the reactor’s cooling system.

Main Component in Zircon Gems: Zirconium is found naturally in the mineral zircon, which is often cut and used as a gemstone. While zircon is sometimes mistaken for diamond due to its brilliance, it is a distinct and valuable mineral in its own right. Zircon is also used in ceramics and refractory materials due to its high melting point. It is part of manufacturing Cubic Zirconia which often are called “fake diamonds“.