Zirconium (Zr) is a greyish-white lustrous metal. Zirconium is used as an alloying agent for material such as surgical appliances, explosive primers, vacuum tube getters and filaments due to its high resistance to corrosion . It is never found as a native metal; it is obtained mainly from the mineral zircon, which can be purified by chlorine. The finely divided metal can ignite spontaneously in air, especially at elevated temperatures. It is industrially processed by the Kroll process developed in 1945, in which zirconium tetrachloride is broken down by magnesium. Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) is used in laboratory crucibles, metallurgical furnaces, and as a refractory material. Zircon (ZrSiO4) is cut into gemstones for use in jewelry.
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