Zirconium node

Entries

1. Entry 1

   The principal ore of zirconium is zircon, ZrSiO₄, usually recovered from heavy-mineral sands alongside ilmenite and rutile. Natural zircon contains hafnium with zirconium at roughly a 1-to-50 ratio.

2. Entry 2

   Zirconium alloys are valuable in nuclear reactors because they resist corrosion while absorbing very few neutrons. Hafnium behaves chemically almost the same but absorbs neutrons strongly, so reactor-grade zirconium must be purified.

3. Entry 3

   Zircon crystals are exceptionally durable geological clocks. Grains from Western Australia's Jack Hills have been dated to about 4.4 billion years old, making them the oldest known terrestrial material.

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