10180. Zirconium Oxide

Nomenclature

CAS number: 1314-23-4
Zirconia; zirconium dioxide; zirconic anhydride.
O2Zr; mol wt 123.22.
O 25.97%, Zr 74.03%.
ZrO2.

Description and references

Occurs in nature as the mineral baddeleyite. Prepn: Clark, Reynolds, Ind. Eng. Chem. 29, 711 (1937); Henderson, Higbie, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 76, 5878 (1954).

Properties

White, heavy, amorphous, odorless, tasteless powder or monoclinic crystals. Also forms tetragonal crystals above ≈1100°; cubic above ≈1900°. d 5.85. mp 2680°. bp 4300°. Practically insol in water; slightly sol in HCl, HNO3; slowly sol in HF; dissolves on heating with a mixt of 2 parts H2SO4 and 1 part H2O. Fusion with sodium carbonate results in the formation of sodium zirconate which dec hydrolytically with water to form sodium hydroxide and practically insol zirconium hydroxide.

Use

Instead of lime for the oxyhydrogen light; with earths of the yttrium group in incandescent lighting (Nernst lamps); as pigment, abrasive; manuf enamels, white glass, refractory crucibles, and furnace linings.

Therapeutic Category

Dermatologic.