First identified in 1789, isolated in impure form in 1824, and manufactured at scale by 1925, pure zirconium is a lustrous transition metal with a greyish-white color that closely resembles hafnium and, to a lesser extent, titanium.

The metal and its alloys are mainly used as a refractory and opacifier; zirconium alloys are used to clad nuclear fuel rods due to their low neutron absorption and strong resistance to corrosion, and in space vehicles and turbine blades where high heat resistance is necessary.

Zirconium also finds uses in flashbulbs, biomedical applications such as dental implants and prosthetics, deodorant, and water purification systems.

Zirconium is a lustrous, greyish-white, soft, ductile, malleable metal that is solid at room temperature, though it is hard and brittle at lesser purities.

90Zr, 91Zr, 92Zr and 94Zr are stable, although 94Zr is predicted to undergo double beta decay (not observed experimentally) with a half-life of more than 1.10×1017 years.

The principal commercial source of zirconium is zircon (ZrSiO4), a silicate mineral,[12] which is found primarily in Australia, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa and the United States, as well as in smaller deposits around the world.

Their neutron-absorbing properties differ strongly, however, necessitating the separation of hafnium from zirconium for nuclear reactors.

[31] Zr and Hf can also be separated by fractional crystallization of potassium hexafluorozirconate (K2ZrF6), which is less soluble in water than the analogous hafnium derivative.

[30][32] Vacuum arc melting, combined with the use of hot extruding techniques and supercooled copper hearths, is capable of producing zirconium that has been purified of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon.

[35] Like other transition metals, zirconium forms a wide range of inorganic compounds and coordination complexes.

This clear to white-coloured solid has exceptional fracture toughness (for a ceramic) and chemical resistance, especially in its cubic form.

[41] Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) is the most commonly used piezoelectric material, being used as transducers and actuators in medical and microelectromechanical systems applications.

All have polymeric structures and are far less volatile than the corresponding titanium tetrahalides; they find applications in the formation of organic complexes such as zirconocene dichloride.

[46] Schwartz's reagent, prepared in 1970 by P. C. Wailes and H. Weigold,[47] is a metallocene used in organic synthesis for transformations of alkenes and alkynes.

He named the new element Zirkonerde (zirconia),[13] related to the Persian zargun (zircon; zar-gun, "gold-like" or "as gold").

[27] Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) is used in laboratory crucibles, in metallurgical furnaces, and as a refractory material[13] Because it is mechanically strong and flexible, it can be sintered into ceramic knives and other blades.

[49] Zircon is also used in dating of rocks from about the time of the Earth's formation through the measurement of its inherent radioisotopes, most often uranium and lead.

Because of zirconium's excellent resistance to corrosion, it is often used as an alloying agent in materials that are exposed to aggressive environments, such as surgical appliances, light filaments, and watch cases.

The desired properties of these alloys are a low neutron-capture cross-section and resistance to corrosion under normal service conditions.

[28] One disadvantage of zirconium alloys is the reactivity with water, producing hydrogen, leading to degradation of the fuel rod cladding:[57]

[28] High temperature parts such as combustors, blades, and vanes in jet engines and stationary gas turbines are increasingly being protected by thin ceramic layers and/or paintable coatings, usually composed of a mixture of zirconia and yttria.

[61] Zirconium is also used as a material of first choice for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) tanks, propellant lines, valves, and thrusters, in propulsion space systems such as these equipping the Sierra Space's Dream Chaser spaceplane[62] where the thrust is provided by the combustion of kerosene and hydrogen peroxide, a powerful, but unstable, oxidizer.

The reason is that zirconium has an excellent corrosion resistance to H2O2 and, above all, do not catalyse its spontaneous self-decomposition as the ions of many transition metals do.

[62][63] Zirconium-bearing compounds are used in many biomedical applications, including dental implants and crowns, knee and hip replacements, middle-ear ossicular chain reconstruction, and other restorative and prosthetic devices.

[64] Zirconium binds urea, a property that has been utilized extensively to the benefit of patients with chronic kidney disease.

[68] Zirconium carbonate (3ZrO2·CO2·H2O) was used in lotions to treat poison ivy but was discontinued because it occasionally caused skin reactions.

[69] Zirconium is widely distributed in nature and is found in all biological systems, for example: 2.86 μg/g in whole wheat, 3.09 μg/g in brown rice, 0.55 μg/g in spinach, 1.23 μg/g in eggs, and 0.86 μg/g in ground beef.

[64] Short-term exposure to zirconium powder can cause irritation, but only contact with the eyes requires medical attention.

However, in a study of 20 rats given a standard diet containing ~4% zirconium oxide, there were no adverse effects on growth rate, blood and urine parameters, or mortality.

It has a very long half-life (1.53 million years), its decay emits only low energy radiations, and it is not considered particularly hazardous.