Why Zirconium materials?
Many of the applications for Zirconium are as the oxide, rather than the elemental metal. Zirconium oxide is sometimes referred to as “ceramic steel” due to its many characteristics.
- High mechanical strength and fracture toughness
This enables ceramics to be used instead of metals in engineering applications, providing additional benefits of high wear and chemical resistance. - High heat resistance
Thermal barrier coatings in the aerospace industry enabling engines to run more efficiently at high temperatures and refractory materials protect furnace linings during high temperature melts. - Good chemical resistance
Ceramics can be used in engineering applications exposed to harsh environments like the sea. This makes components less vulnerable to corrosion and replacement downtime. - High wear resistance and hardness close to diamond
Abrasives materials are needed for many surface preparation and wear resistance applications, including car brake pads. - Good insulator
Insulation layers play an important part in semiconductor wafer’s, protecting the surface from electrical charges and its stabilising structure. - High ionic conductivity when doped with yttria
Used in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Solid State battery materials, providing good temperature resistance and strength component to the structure, as well as good ionic conductivity.
These are some of the characteristics that have made zircon the oldest know material on our planet and are the reasons zirconium materials continue to find applications in new and demanding technologies.
