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Glite Dictionary
zirconium

zirconium

9 8.8
A shiny grey metal used in nuclear reactors and made from the mineral zircon
  • noun
  • /zɜrˈkoʊniəm/
  • Specialized
: circonio
  • Cernox RTDs are zirconium oxynitride thin-film sensors with fast thermal response times and high resistance to ionizing radiation.
  • zirconium oxide
  • zirconium alloys

They can measure the amount of Iridium or other group platinum, ruthenium, zirconium, other platinum group metals.

Examples

  • If significant drainage occurs, after several hours the zirconium cladding around the irradiated uranium could ignite.

    Blog text (25)

  • The first wall materials they've considered so far include steel, vanadium, and zirconium alloys.

    Academic text (2002)

  • OK, next step is zirconium powder.

  • And the inset here shows the decrease in that critical temperature as a function of increasing zirconium content.

  • The reason for the fire was the same zirconium-steam reaction and liberation of hydrogen.

    Blog text (6)

  • Materials based on oxides of zirconium (ZrO2) are widely used for various important chemical reactions in industries due to their prominent physical-chemical properties.

    Academic text (2018)

  • The power plant uses solid electrolytes: 40-micron-thick layers of zirconium oxide stabilized with yttrium oxide.

    Academic text (1994)

  • Zirconium is a strong metallic element widely used in the construction of zirconium nuclear reactors.

  • The nuclear reactor's safety relies on zirconium for its cladding, which helps contain the nuclear fuel.

  • Scientists often study zirconium for its unique properties and its application in various high-temperature environments.

Synonyms

Zr
vszirconium
  • Specialized
1 8.1

A chemical symbol for the metal zirconium used in nuclear reactors

has identical meaning but written as the full element name
atomic number 40
vszirconium
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A strong shiny grey metal used in nuclear reactors

has identical meaning but labeled by its periodic table number

Compounds

zirconium oxide
  • Specialized
1 7.8

A white strong material that people use to make dental crowns and parts that get very hot

zirconium silicate
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A common mineral in small crystals used to make the metal zirconium and clear gemstones

zirconium dioxide
  • Specialized
1 8.2

A white hard material used to make strong ceramics like dental crowns and heat-resistant linings

Surface Forms

zirconium singular
zirconiums plural

Morphology

zirconium = zircon (transparent) = zircon + ium

The chemical element name is a regular formation from the mineral name plus the productive suffix '-ium', so the relation is directly inferable.

Etymology

Zirconium comes from the mineral zircon, whose name comes from Persian zargun meaning 'gold-coloured' or from Arabic zarkun meaning 'vermilion'. The metal was named after that mineral and the ending -ium marks it as a metal, so zirconium is the metal taken from zircon.