Zirconium Element Information, Facts, Properties, Trends, Uses, Comparison with other elements
Zirconium is a chemical element with symbol Zr and atomic number 40. The name of zirconium is taken from the name of the mineral zircon, the most important source of zirconium. The word zircon comes from the Persian word zargun زرگون, meaning 'gold-colored'.
It belongs to group 4 of the periodic table having trivial name null. You can also download Printable Periodic Table of Elements Flashcards for Zirconium in a PDF format.
Zirconium Facts
Read key information and facts about element Zirconium
| Name | Zirconium |
| Atomic Number | 40 |
| Atomic Symbol | Zr |
| Atomic Weight | 91.224 |
| Phase | Solid |
| Color | Silver |
| Appearance | silvery white |
| Classification | Transition Metal |
| Natural Occurance | Primordial |
| Group in Periodic Table | 4 |
| Group Name | titanium family |
| Period in Periodic Table | period 5 |
| Block in Periodic Table | d-block |
| Electronic Configuration | [Kr] 4d2 5s2 |
| Electronic Shell Structure (Electrons per shell) | 2, 8, 18, 10, 2 |
| Melting Point | 2128 K |
| Boiling Point | 4682 K |
| CAS Number | CAS7440-67-7 |
How to Locate Zirconium on Periodic Table
Periodic table is arranged by atomic number, number of protons in the nucleus which is same as number of electrons. The atomic number increases from left to right. Periodic table starts at top left ( Atomic number 1) and ends at bottom right (atomic number 118). Therefore you can directly look for atomic number 40 to find Zirconium on periodic table.
Another way to read periodic table and locate an element is by using group number (column) and period number (row). To locate Zirconium on periodic table look for cross section of group 4 and period 5 in the modern periodic table.
Zirconium History
The element Zirconium was discovered by H. Klaproth in year 1789 in Germany. Zirconium was first isolated by J. Berzelius in 1824. Zirconium derived its name from Persian Zargun, 'gold-colored'; German Zirkoon, 'jargoon'.
| Discovered By | H. Klaproth |
| Discovery Date | 1789 in Germany |
| First Isolation | 1824 |
| Isolated by | J. Berzelius |
Klaproth identified a new element inzirconia.
Zirconium Uses
Zirconium is used as an anti-corrosion compound in pumps and valves. It does not absorb neutrons, which is also widely used in nuclear reactors
Zirconium Presence: Abundance in Nature and Around Us
The table below shows the abundance of Zirconium in Universe, Sun, Meteorites, Earth's Crust, Oceans and Human Body.
| ppb by weight (1ppb =10^-7 %) | ppb by atoms (1ppb =10^-7 %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Abundance in Universe | 50 | 0.7 |
| Abundance in Sun | 40 | 0.5 |
| Abundance in Meteorites | 6700 | 1600 |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 130000 | 30000 |
| Abundance in Oceans | 0.026 | 0.0018 |
| Abundance in Humans | 50 | 3 |
Crystal Structure of Zirconium
The solid state structure of Zirconium is Simple Hexagonal.
The Crystal structure can be described in terms of its unit Cell. The unit Cells repeats itself in three dimensional space to form the structure.
Unit Cell Parameters
The unit cell is represented in terms of its lattice parameters, which are the lengths of the cell edges Lattice Constants (a, b and c)
| a | b | c |
|---|---|---|
| 323.2 pm | 323.2 pm | 514.7 pm |
and the angles between them Lattice Angles (alpha, beta and gamma).
| alpha | beta | gamma |
|---|---|---|
| π/2 | π/2 | 2 π/3 |
The positions of the atoms inside the unit cell are described by the set of atomic positions ( xi, yi, zi) measured from a reference lattice point.
The symmetry properties of the crystal are described by the concept of space groups. All possible symmetric arrangements of particles in three-dimensional space are described by the 230 space groups (219 distinct types, or 230 if chiral copies are considered distinct.
| Space Group Name | P63/mmc |
| Space Group Number | 194 |
| Crystal Structure | Simple Hexagonal |
| Number of atoms per unit cell |
The number of atoms per unit cell in a simple cubic, face-centered cubic and body-centred cubic are 1,4,2 respectively.
Zirconium Atomic and Orbital Properties
Zirconium atoms have 40 electrons and the electronic shell structure is [2, 8, 18, 10, 2] with Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) 3F2.
| Atomic Number | 40 |
| Number of Electrons (with no charge) | 40 |
| Number of Protons | 40 |
| Mass Number | 91 |
| Number of Neutrons | 51 |
| Shell structure (Electrons per energy level) | 2, 8, 18, 10, 2 |
| Electron Configuration | [Kr] 4d2 5s2 |
| Valence Electrons | 4d2 5s2 |
| Valence (Valency) | 4 |
| Main Oxidation States | 4 |
| Oxidation States | -2, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Atomic Term Symbol (Quantum Numbers) | 3F2 |
Bohr Atomic Model of Zirconium - Electrons per energy level
| n | s | p | d | f |
|---|
Ground State Electronic Configuration of Zirconium - neutral Zirconium atom
Abbreviated electronic configuration of Zirconium
The ground state abbreviated electronic configuration of Neutral Zirconium atom is [Kr] 4d2 5s2. The portion of Zirconium configuration that is equivalent to the noble gas of the preceding period, is abbreviated as [Kr]. For atoms with many electrons, this notation can become lengthy and so an abbreviated notation is used. This is important as it is the Valence electrons 4d2 5s2, electrons in the outermost shell that determine the chemical properties of the element.
Unabbreviated electronic configuration of neutral Zirconium
Complete ground state electronic configuration for the Zirconium atom, Unabbreviated electronic configuration
1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2 3p6 3d10 4s2 4p6 4d2 5s2
Electrons are filled in atomic orbitals as per the order determined by the Aufbau principle, Pauli Exclusion Principle and Hund’s Rule.
As per the Aufbau principle the electrons will occupy the orbitals having lower energies before occupying higher energy orbitals. According to this principle, electrons are filled in the following order: 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, 4s, 3d, 4p, 5s, 4d, 5p, 6s, 4f, 5d, 6p, 7s, 5f, 6d, 7p…
The Pauli exclusion principle states that a maximum of two electrons, each having opposite spins, can fit in an orbital.
Hund's rule states that every orbital in a given subshell is singly occupied by electrons before a second electron is filled in an orbital.
Atomic Structure of Zirconium
Zirconium atomic radius is 206 pm, while it's covalent radius is 148 pm.
| Atomic Radius Calculated | 206 pm(2.06 Å) |
| Atomic Radius Empirical | 155 pm (1.55 Å) |
| Atomic Volume | 14.011 cm3/mol |
| Covalent Radius | 148 pm (1.48 Å) |
| Van der Waals Radius | - |
| Neutron Cross Section | 0.184 |
| Neutron Mass Absorption | 0.00066 |
Spectral Lines of Zirconium - Atomic Spectrum of Zirconium
A spectral line is a dark or bright line in an otherwise uniform and continuous spectrum, resulting from an excess or deficiency of photons in a narrow frequency range, compared with the nearby frequencies. Spectral lines are often used to identify atoms and molecules.
Spectral lines are the result of interaction between a quantum system and a single photon. A spectral line may be observed either as an emission line or an absorption line.
Spectral lines are highly atom-specific, and can be used to identify the chemical composition of any medium. Several elements, including helium, thallium, and caesium, were discovered by spectroscopic means. They are widely used to determine the physical conditions of stars and other celestial bodies that cannot be analyzed by other means.
Emission spectrum of Zirconium
Absorption spectrum of Zirconium
Zirconium Chemical Properties: Zirconium Ionization Energies and electron affinity
The electron affinity of Zirconium is 41.1 kJ/mol.
| Valence | 4 |
| Electronegativity | 1.33 |
| ElectronAffinity | 41.1 kJ/mol |
Ionization Energy of Zirconium
Ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove an electron from an atom or molecule.in chemistry, this energy is expresed in kilocalories per mole (kcal/mol) or kilojoules per mole (kJ/mol).
Refer to table below for Ionization energies of Zirconium
| Ionization energy number | Enthalpy - kJ/mol |
|---|---|
| 1st | 640.1 |
| 2nd | 1270 |
| 3rd | 2218 |
| 4th | 3313 |
| 5th | 7752 |
| 6th | 9500 |
Zirconium Physical Properties
Refer to below table for Zirconium Physical Properties
| Density | 6.511 g/cm3(when liquid at m.p density is $5.8 g/cm3) |
| Molar Volume | 14.011 cm3/mol |
Elastic Properties
| Young Modulus | 68 |
| Shear Modulus | 33 GPa |
| Bulk Modulus | - |
| Poisson Ratio | 0.34 |
Hardness of Zirconium - Tests to Measure of Hardness of Element
| Mohs Hardness | 5 MPa |
| Vickers Hardness | 903 MPa |
| Brinell Hardness | 650 MPa |
Zirconium Electrical Properties
Electrical resistivity measures element's electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current.The SI unit of electrical resistivity is the ohm-metre (Ω⋅m). While Electrical conductivity is the reciprocal of electrical resistivity. It represents a element's ability to conduct electric current. The SI unit of electrical conductivity is siemens per metre (S/m).
Zirconium is a conductor of electricity. Refer to table below for the Electrical properties of Zirconium
| Electrical conductors | Conductor |
| Electrical Conductivity | 2400000 S/m |
| Resistivity | 4.2e-7 m Ω |
| Superconducting Point | 0.61 |
Zirconium Heat and Conduction Properties
| Thermal Conductivity | 23 W/(m K) |
| Thermal Expansion | 0.0000057 /K |
Zirconium Magnetic Properties
| Magnetic Type | Paramagnetic |
| Curie Point | - |
| Mass Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.68e-8 m3/kg |
| Molar Magnetic Susceptibility | 1.53e-9 m3/mol |
| Volume Magnetic Susceptibility | 0.000109 |
Optical Properties of Zirconium
| Refractive Index | - |
Acoustic Properties of Zirconium
| Speed of Sound | 3800 m/s |
Zirconium Thermal Properties - Enthalpies and thermodynamics
Refer to table below for Thermal properties of Zirconium
| Melting Point | 2128 K(1854.85 °C, 3370.730 °F) |
| Boiling Point | 4682 K(4408.85 °C, 7967.930 °F) |
| Critical Temperature | - |
| Superconducting Point | 0.61 |
Enthalpies of Zirconium
| Heat of Fusion | 21 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Vaporization | 580 kJ/mol |
| Heat of Combustion | - |
Zirconium Isotopes - Nuclear Properties of Zirconium
Zirconium has 33 isotopes, with between 78 and 110 nucleons. Zirconium has 4 stable naturally occuring isotopes.
Isotopes of Zirconium - Naturally occurring stable Isotopes: 90Zr, 91Zr, 92Zr, 94Zr.
| Isotope | Z | N | Isotope Mass | % Abundance | T half | Decay Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78Zr | 40 | 38 | 78 | Synthetic | ||
| 79Zr | 40 | 39 | 79 | Synthetic | ||
| 80Zr | 40 | 40 | 80 | Synthetic | ||
| 81Zr | 40 | 41 | 81 | Synthetic | ||
| 82Zr | 40 | 42 | 82 | Synthetic | ||
| 83Zr | 40 | 43 | 83 | Synthetic | ||
| 84Zr | 40 | 44 | 84 | Synthetic | ||
| 85Zr | 40 | 45 | 85 | Synthetic | ||
| 86Zr | 40 | 46 | 86 | Synthetic | ||
| 87Zr | 40 | 47 | 87 | Synthetic | ||
| 88Zr | 40 | 48 | 88 | Synthetic | ||
| 89Zr | 40 | 49 | 89 | Synthetic | ||
| 90Zr | 40 | 50 | 90 | 51.45% | Stable | N/A |
| 91Zr | 40 | 51 | 91 | 11.22% | Stable | |
| 92Zr | 40 | 52 | 92 | 17.15% | Stable | N/A |
| 93Zr | 40 | 53 | 93 | Synthetic | ||
| 94Zr | 40 | 54 | 94 | 17.38% | Stable | N/A |
| 95Zr | 40 | 55 | 95 | Synthetic | ||
| 96Zr | 40 | 56 | 96 | 2.8% | Stable | N/A |
| 97Zr | 40 | 57 | 97 | Synthetic | ||
| 98Zr | 40 | 58 | 98 | Synthetic | ||
| 99Zr | 40 | 59 | 99 | Synthetic | ||
| 100Zr | 40 | 60 | 100 | Synthetic | ||
| 101Zr | 40 | 61 | 101 | Synthetic | ||
| 102Zr | 40 | 62 | 102 | Synthetic | ||
| 103Zr | 40 | 63 | 103 | Synthetic | ||
| 104Zr | 40 | 64 | 104 | Synthetic | ||
| 105Zr | 40 | 65 | 105 | Synthetic | ||
| 106Zr | 40 | 66 | 106 | Synthetic | ||
| 107Zr | 40 | 67 | 107 | Synthetic | ||
| 108Zr | 40 | 68 | 108 | Synthetic | ||
| 109Zr | 40 | 69 | 109 | Synthetic | ||
| 110Zr | 40 | 70 | 110 | Synthetic |
Regulatory and Health - Health and Safety Parameters and Guidelines
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) identifies hazard class of all dangerous elements/goods/commodities either by its class (or division) number or name. The DOT has divided these materials into nine different categories, known as Hazard Classes.
| DOT Numbers | 2008 |
| DOT Hazard Class | 4.2 |
NFPA 704 is a Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response. NFPA is a standard maintained by the US based National Fire Protection Association.
The health (blue), flammability (red), and reactivity (yellow) rating all use a numbering scale ranging from 0 to 4. A value of zero means that the element poses no hazard; a rating of four indicates extreme danger.
| NFPA Fire Rating | 1 | Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F) |
| NFPA Health Rating | 1 | Flash Points Above 93.3°C (200°F) |
| NFPA Reactivity Rating | 0 | Will not burn |
| NFPA Hazards |
| Autoignition Point | - |
| Flashpoint | - |
Database Search
List of unique identifiers to search the element in various chemical registry databases
| Database | Identifier number |
|---|---|
| CAS Number - Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) | CAS7440-67-7 |
| RTECS Number | - |
| CID Number | CID23995 |
| Gmelin Number | - |
| NSC Number | - |
Compare Zirconium with other elements
Compare Zirconium with Group 4, Period 5 and Transition Metal elements of the periodic table.
Compare Zirconium with all Group 4 elements
Compare Zirconium with all Period 5 elements
Compare Zirconium with all Transition Metal elements
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Find the answers to the most frequently asked questions about Zirconium