Copyright (c) 2012 Alison Withers
Zirconium is one of the 17 Rare Earth Metals currently making headlines after China, the world's main producer, announced restrictions on exports.
This has not only prompted the USA, Japan and the EU to report the country to the World Trade Organisation but also concentrated attention on other alternative sources of supply as well as on recycling existing Rare Earth Elements.
Recently Japan has announced agreements with both India and Kazakhstan to jointly develop Rare Earth resources.
REEs are important for clean energy technology, the most well-known of which is its use in the manufacture of solar panels, wind turbines and electric car batteries, but they are also present in a wide range of more familiar products.
Many women will be familiar with Zircon, in the form of Cubic Zirconium, that is widely used as an affordable alternative gemstone to diamonds in jewellery. It can also be tinted to resemble the colours of other gemstones.
However, Zirconium has properties that make it vital for many more sophisticated technologies. It is used in the nuclear, space and aeronautical industries.
This REE (Rare Earth Element) is not mined as a native metal, but is derived from the silicate mineral, zircon, found primarily in Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa and the United States.
It was first isolated by the German chemist Martin Heinrich Klaproth in 1789. This element has exceptional fracture toughness and chemical resistance, especially in its cubic form, which makes it useful as a thermal barrier coating.
Materials fabricated from zirconium metal and its oxide are used in space vehicle partsbecause of their resistance to heat and it is also a component in some abrasives, such as grinding wheels and sandpaper. It is used in nuclear energy applications such as in the cladding (outer layer) of fuel rods.
High temperature parts such as combustors, blades and vanes in jet engines and stationary gas turbines are protected by thin ceramic layers composed by a mixture of zirconia and yttria.
In the period between 2003 and 2007 for example the value of Zircon increased from $360 to $840 per metric ton.
Another REE with a variety of uses is Bismuth. The most familiar one to most people perhaps is in the pharmaceuticals used to treat burns, as an antiseptic powder to stop bleeding and in preparations to treat peptic ulcers and other gastro-intestinal conditions.
Bismuth is mainly derived as a by-product of lead ore processing. It is silver-white with an irridescent tarnish and a metallic luster. In addition it is used in pigments for emulsion paints and printing inks and, because of its low melting point, is a constituent of fire detection and suppression system safety devices. It is also used in shielding for nuclear reactors.
Until alternative sources become widely available or the situation with China is resolved it is likely that given their widespread importance to many modern products the value of REEs will continue to rise.
----------------------------------------------------
Zirconium and Bismuth are two of the 17 Rare Earth Elements that can be found in many everyday health, fashion and beauty products. By Ali Withers. http://www.denver-trading.com
EasyPublish this article: http://submityourarticle.com/articles/easypublish.php?art_id=269328
I really liked your blog! Nice Posts! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete