Zirconium - Social, Environmental, Economic

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Zirconium Zirconium (40Zr91) is the 40th element in the periodic table of elements. Its electronic configuration is 2, 8, 18, 10, 2. It is a lustrous(glossy, shiny) gray transitional metal that resembles titanium. It is both ductile (able to be deformed plastically without breaking) and malleable (differs from ductility as far as it can be hammered/rolled into a thin sheet). It cannot be found as a native metal in nature, The Social benefits and limitations of Zirconium Zirconium is used primarily as an alloying agent because it is highly resistant to corrosion from alkali, salt water, acids and many other possible sources of corrosion. Because of this it is often used in alloys that are used in objects exposed to acids a lot, such is surgical apparatus. This makes hospitals a safer place, because it reduces the chance of acid breaking or damaging tools, which in turn could result in patients getting injured. On the downside, powdered zirconium is highly flammable, and it can cause a type of tumor caused by inflammation or injury called a granuloma. This means that it can be very dangerous if kept in powdered form. The environmental benefits and limitations of Zirconium Zirconium has a concentration of 0.026 μg/L in sea water, and is first collected from coastal waters as the solid mineral zircon. Excess sand and gravel are removed using apparatus called a spiral concentrator. Magnetic seperators remove ilmenite and rutile. The product of this process is then purified by chloride. All byproducts and remainders of the various processes can be safely dumped into bodies of water, because they are all found in common beach sand. This is a big benefit, because the byproducts do not pollute water as other chemical byproducts do. Zirconium is also non-toxic, and there is only one radioactive isotope that can increase the probability of cancer upon consumption.

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