Zirconium metal resists corrosion through a protective oxide layer, and zirconium alloys are used in nuclear-reactor tubing because of their low neutron absorption. Its oxide has a different role in strong ceramics and synthetic gemstones, connecting nuclear engineering to familiar cubic zirconia.
FROM ELEMENT TO APPLICATION
AN ELEMENT IN CONTEXT
Why does hafnium content matter in zirconium cladding?
Zirconium-based alloys with controlled hafnium content
FOLLOW THIS RELATIONSHIP
Combine two requirements
Fuel cladding provides a physical enclosure while interacting with the reactor’s neutron population, making material behavior and nuclear properties relevant together.
Explore the model (optional)
ZrFORM → INTERACTION → CONSEQUENCE
Follow the explanation in either direction. These are authored steps, not a physical clock.
Atomic identity, reference properties and structure models
INTERACTIVE 3D40 visible sites
An electron censusDrag to rotate · scroll or pinch to zoom
[Kr] 4d2 5s2. Grouping electrons by principal shell connects the neutral-atom configuration to periodic-table patterns.
What this representation means
A three-dimensional counting diagram. Dots are count markers, not measured electron positions; spherical placement and spacing are arbitrary. There are no electron trajectories here. Orbitals describe quantum states.
Klaproth analyzed zircon in 1789 and identified a previously unknown , establishing evidence for zirconium. Obtaining the metal required further progress: Berzelius prepared an impure sample in 1824, while much higher purity became possible in the following century. The history separates a familiar gemstone, an isolated oxide, and a metallic sample. These materials share zirconium but represent different chemical forms and different experimental achievements.
1789
New oxide identified
Klaproth recognized zirconium through analysis of zircon.
1824
Metal sample prepared
Berzelius obtained zirconium after earlier attempts at isolation had failed.
Zirconium occurs in zircon, a zirconium , and is commonly accompanied by hafnium in . Zirconium has also been identified in meteorites and lunar samples. Separating hafnium is particularly important for certain applications, illustrating how a closely associated element can influence the suitability of an otherwise useful material.
Zirconium metal resists in many environments and has relatively low . Its behavior also depends on physical form: finely divided metal can react much more readily than a bulk piece. Zirconium compounds, including zirconia, have distinct structures and properties that underpin separate ceramic applications.
Each section links its supporting references. Descriptions and diagrams were authored for this atlas. Source checks completed. Source checks dated 2026-09-06.
CITE THIS PAGE
Family labels and the group-3 layout are teaching conventions. A table position does not establish an unknown bulk property. Electronic configurations refer to neutral atoms; ions and material environments require their own account.
Read each reference property together with its units, conditions and the reference information below.
Not yet recorded: electron affinity, second ionization energy, ground-state term symbol, van der waals radius, thermal conductivity, specific heat capacity, electrical resistivity, crystal structure, lattice parameter a, space group, abundance in seawater, abundance in the universe, annual production, supply-risk listing, hazard classification, biological role, cas registry number, pubchem cid, wikidata item. These families are declared and awaiting an ingestion run against the source each names; they are listed here rather than shown as empty rows.
Physical
Intended reference: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics · CRC Press
Phase at 20 °C
solid
293.15 K, 101.325 kPa
Melting point in K
2128 K
at standard pressure unless noted
Boiling point in K
4682 K
101.325 kPa
Density in g/cm³
6.52 g/cm³
solids and liquids at 293 K; gases at 273 K and 101.325 kPa
Atomic and electronic
Intended reference: Pauling electronegativity scale · Widely tabulated; original in The Nature of the Chemical Bond
Electronegativity in Pauling
1.33 Pauling
Pauling scale
First ionization energy in kJ/mol
640.1 kJ/mol
gas-phase neutral atom, ground state
Covalent radius in pm
175 pm
single-bond covalent radius
Common oxidation states
+4
states met in ordinary compounds; not exhaustive
Occurrence and identity
Intended reference: CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics · CRC Press
Abundance in the crust in mg/kg
165 mg/kg
upper continental crust, mass fraction
Has stable isotopes
Yesderived
Discovery year in CE
1789 CEderived
WHERE IT SITS AMONG ITS NEIGHBORS
Electronegativity across period 5
Zr 1.33 Pauling · Zirconium
Electronegativity across period 5. Exact values.
Rb
0.82
Sr
0.95
Y
1.22
Zr
1.33
Nb
1.6
Mo
2.16
Tc
1.9
Ru
2.2
Rh
2.28
Pd
2.2
Ag
1.93
Cd
1.69
In
1.78
Sn
1.96
Sb
2.05
Te
2.1
I
2.66
Xe
2.6
Electronegativity down group 4
Zr 1.33 Pauling · Zirconium
Electronegativity down group 4. Exact values.
Ti
1.54
Zr
1.33
Hf
1.3
The trend uses the same reference-property values as the periodic table. Elements with no recorded value are left out of the line rather than drawn at zero.
