Why Zirconium Is An Interesting Element

Zirconium is an interesting element with 40 protons, 40 electrons, and 51 neutrons. It is the 40th element on the periodic table and has the atomic symbol Zr. Its average atomic weight is 91.224. It is found as a bluish powder or as a grayish-white metal. Zirconium was discovered as the oxide Zirconia by Martin Klaproth in 1789. Martin had been one of the first to stray away from the usual chemical analysis of the time, which included removing unknown elements and adjusting the percentages of the known elements so that they equaled 100%. The scientist J. J. Berzelius was the first to isolate the impure form of this metal in 1824. Efforts to get the pure form stumped scientists until D. Lely Jr. and L. Hamburger got the pure form by heating it with Sodium. (Gale, 2007 paragraph 4 & 5)

One of its major uses is its low nuclear cross-section, meaning that neutrons will pass through without being absorbed. This makes it ideal for being used to contain nuclear materials (Gale, 2007, paragraph 6). Another use is To be put in ceramic glazes, furnaces in crucibles, and it was used formerly in gas mantles. Zirconium can come in the crystal-like form Zirconia, which looks much like a diamond and is used in jewelry as a cheaper alternative. It can also be used as a catalyst in the dye, textile, plastic, and paint industries. (Columbia University Press, 2016, paragraph 3) The element can be used in steel as an alloying agent, surgical instruments, photoflash bulbs, and lamp