Periodic Table ~ zirconium ~ Element ~ CAS 7440-67-7

zirconium

Name	zirconium
Symbol	Zr
Atomic Weight	91.224
Atomic Number	40
CAS ID	7440-67-7
Group Number	4
Group Name	(none)
Period Number	5
Origin of Name	Arabic, zargun = "gold color."
Year Discovered	1824
Discovery Credits	Discovered by M. H. Kalproth at University of Berlin, Germany; isolated in 1824 by J. J. Berzelius at Stockholm, Sweden.
Class	Metallic
Color	Silvery White
Standard State	Solid at 77 F & 298 K
Description	Hard, lustrous, silvery metal. Very corrosion resistant due to oxide layer, but will burn in air. Unaffected by acids, (except HF), and alkalis. Metal used in alloys, colored glazes, and nuclear reactors. Oxides used in foundry crucibles, bricks, ceramics, synthetic gemstones, and abrasives. Zirconium is commonly accompanied with Hafnium. Diagnostic tests: There are no quick and diagnostic tests to detect zirconium. Most tests use solutions created by flux decomposition by Na₂CO₃. The element is detected by precipitation of a gelatinous base upon addition of NH₄OH, NaOH or KOH and than processed using Alizarin Red dye. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is commonly employed to identify and analyze zirconium.