Zirconium

Zirconium is a silvery bendable metal. Zirconium have its name from the source of the raw material the mineral zircon. Countries where zirconium is extracted are Australia, South Africa, the USA and Brazil. zirconium and has a good formability. Due the formation of stable zirconium oxide it has a very good corrosion resistance. Zirconium usually has a few percent of the closely related element hafnium. (See, hafnium by-products). Zirconium is an expensive element to produce. Zirconium is mainly used in the nuclear reactor industry.
Important features and applications: very good corrosion resistance, good processability, good weldability, small neutron capture cross section (nuclear use).
Zirconum is used for heat exchangers in the chemical industry. Zirconium is used for tubes in the nuclear industry and medical instruments. Zirconium is also frequently used in various steelalloys.

ASTM standards of zirconium:
ASTM B350 (Zr and Zr alloys - ingots for nuclear applications)
ASTM B351 / B351M (Zr and Zr alloys - rod, wire for nuclear applications)
ASTM B352 / B352M (Zr and Zr alloys - strip, plate for nuclear applications)
ASTM B353 / B5353M (Zr and Zr alloys - tubes for nuclear applications)
ASTM B550 / B550M (zirconium and zirconium alloys - rod and wire)
ASTM B551 / B551M (zirconium and zirconium alloys - strip and sheet)
ASTM B553 / B553M (Zr and Zr alloys - tube)

Range of products of zirconium:

Foils, strips, ribbons, sheets, plates, wires, rods, tubes, sputtering targets, crucibles, high temperature components, standard fabricated parts (screws, nuts and others), fabricated parts according to drawing