Zirconium sinadari ne na ƙarfe mai alamar Zr da lambar atomic 40 a jadawalin sinadarai. Yana daga cikin rukunin transition metals, kuma yana da launin azurfa mai walƙiya wanda kan sa ya zama mai jan hankali a masana’antu da fannin bincike. Wannan ƙarfe yana da ƙarfin gaske, yana da ƙarancin nauyi idan aka kwatanta da wasu ƙarafa masu ƙarfi, da juriya sosai ga lalacewa da tsatsa, musamman a yanayi mai zafi da danshi.
Launin sinadarin zirconium
Zirconium yana da ductility da malleability masu kyau, wato yana iya lanƙwashewa da miƙewa ba tare da karyewa ba, wanda hakan ta sa ya zama babban zaɓi wajen ƙera kayayyaki masu buƙatar ƙwari da juriya ga takura. Bugu da ƙari, yana da ƙarancin guba, wanda ke nuna ana iya amfani da shi wajen ƙera kayayyakin aikin likitanci, musamman implants da sauran kayayyakin da ke hulɗa da jikin ɗan Adam.
A masana’antar nukiliya, zirconium yana da matuƙar amfani saboda juriya ga ruwa mai zafi da ƙarancin neutron absorption, wannan ta sa ya zama sinadari mai kyau ga fuel rods da reactors. Haka nan, a masana’antar aerospace da lantarki, ana amfani da zirconium wajen ƙera alloys masu juriya ga zafi da tsatsa, da kuma a matsayin coatings don kare wasu kayan aiki.
Tarihin gano sinadarin zirconium
An fara gano zirconium ne a cikin shekarar 1789 ta hannun masanin kimiyya ɗan ƙasar Jamus, Martin Heinrich Klaproth. Ya gano sinadarin a cikin ma’adanan zircon (ZrSiO₄) da ake samu a Austria da Sweden. Klaproth ya ba sinadarin sunan “Zirconium” daga kalmar Larabci “zarqūn”, wadda ke nufin launin ja ko ruwan toka mai haske da ake samu a wasu ma’adanan zircon.
A farkon gano shi, zirconium ba a samun shi tsantsa saboda yana haɗe da oxygen sosai a cikin ma’adanan. Daga baya, a shekarar 1824, wani masanin kimiyya daga Jamus ɗin, Jöns Jakob Berzelius, ya yi nasarar ware zirconium zalla ta hanyar rage zirconium chloride (ZrCl₄) da potassium. Wannan cigaba ya taimaka wajen fahimtar matsayin zirconium a rukunin transition metals da kuma yiwuwar amfani da shi a masana’antu.
Siffofin sinadarin zirconium
Zirconium ƙarfe ne mai launin ruwan toka mai walƙiya, wanda yake daga cikin transition metals, kuma yana da siffofi na musamman da ke bambanta shi da sauran ƙarafa. Lambar atomic ɗinsa 40 ne, ma’ana yana da proton 40 a cikin nucleus ɗinsa, yayin da atomic mass ɗinsa ke nuna matsakaicin nauyin dukkan isotopes da ke samuwa a doron ƙasa, wato 91.224 u.
Electron configuration [Kr] 4d² 5s² yana bayyana yadda electrons suke zagayawa a cikin atom, wanda ke ba shi damar haɗuwa da sauran sinadarai cikin yanayi matsakaici, musamman oxidation state +4 da +3. Oxidation state mafi karko shi ne+4, yana nuna cewa zirconium yana da damar samar da haɗe-haɗe sinadarai masu tsauri da juriya ga lalacewa, musamman oxides kamar zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂). Wannan oxide layer tana samuwa ta hanyar haɗuwa da oxygen a yanayi na yau da kullum, wanda ke kare ƙarfen daga lalacewa ta hanyar ruwa da acids masu rauni, kamar hydrochloric acid da acetic acid.
Melting point ɗin zirconium (1855 °C) da boiling point ɗinsa (4409 °C) suna nuna ƙarfin zafin da sinadarin ke iya ɗauka, hakan ya sa ya dace da amfani a yanayi mai zafi, kamar nuclear reactors, sassa na turbine a masana’antar jiragen sama, da kayayyakin aikin masana’antu masu bukatar juriya ga tsatsa da tsananin zafin yanayi.
Density ɗinsa 6.52 g/cm³ na nuni da cewa zirconium yana da nauyi amma ba sosai ba, wanda ya ba shi damar yin alloys masu ƙarfin gaske da jurewa lalacewa, kamar zircaloy, wanda ake amfani da shi sosai a fannin nukiliya.
Sakamakon waɗannan siffofi, zirconium ya zama sinadari mai matuƙar amfani a masana’antu, fasahar nukiliya, da kayan aikin likitanci, inda ake buƙatar ƙarfe mai juriya ga lalacewa, tsatsa, da zafi mai yawa.
Hulɗar zirconium da sauran sinadarai
Zirconium yana da matuƙar juriya ga lalacewa saboda oxide layer (ZrO₂) da ke samansa, wadda take kare shi daga ruwa, iskar oxygen, da yawancin acids masu rauni. Zirconium a yanayi mai zafi ko a cikin narkakken yanayinsa yana iya yin hulɗa da wasu sinadarai masu ƙarfi:
- Oxygen (O₂): Zirconium yana samar da zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), wadda ita ce oxide mai juriya sosai. Wannan oxide layer tana aiki a matsayin kariya ga ƙarfen daga lalacewa da tsatsa, kuma ana amfani da ZrO₂ a masana’antar ceramics, refractory materials, da coatings masu jurewa zafi.
- Halogens: Zirconium na iya haɗuwa da chlorine da fluorine, ya samar da zirconium tetrachloride (ZrCl₄) da zirconium tetrafluoride (ZrF₄). Waɗannan sinadarai suna da amfani sosai wajen samar da tsantsar zirconium, da kuma a masana’antar pigments da catalysis.
- Acids masu ƙarfi: A yanayin da oxide layer ɗin ta lalace, zirconium na iya yin haɗuwa da sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) da hydrochloric acid (HCl). Wannan na faruwa musamman a cikin masana’antu inda zirconium ke fuskantar yanayi mai tsanani, kuma yana buƙatar matakan kariya da kulawa sosai.
Zirconium ba ya narkewa cikin ruwa a yanayi na yau da kullum, kuma yana da ƙarancin reactivity idan aka kwatanta da sauran transition metals kamar titanium da hafnium. Wannan halayen na jurewa da stability sun sanya shi dacewa da amfani a fannonin aerospace, nukiliya, da masana’antar lantarki.
Rabe-raben sotopes na zirconium
Zirconium yana da isotopes da dama, waɗanda ke rarrabuwa tsakanin masu dawwama da kuma masu tsawon rayuwa. Isotopes suna taka muhimmiyar rawa a bincike na kimiyya da masana’antu, musamman wajen nazarin alloy properties da amfani a fasahar nukiliya.
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Zirconium (⁹⁰Zr)
Shi ne isotope mafi yawa a doron ƙasa, kusan kashi 51% na zirconium. Yana da stability sosai, wanda ke sa shi zama babban zaɓi a cikin alloys da masana’antar nukiliya.
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Zirconium (⁹¹Zr, ⁹²Zr, ⁹⁴Zr)
Waɗannan isotopes masu dawwama suna da amfani a binciken kimiyya da masana’antu, musamman wajen nazarin radiation shielding, alloy design, da a cikin wasu chemical tracers.
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Zirconium (⁹⁶Zr)
Wannan isotope yana da tsawon rayuwa sosai, kuma ana amfani da shi a nuclear reactors da kuma a matsayin isotopic tracer a binciken kimiyya. Tsawon rayuwarsa da ƙarfinsa suna ba shi damar jurewa yanayi masu tsanani, wanda ya sa ya zama mai amfani a cikin kimiyyar nukiliya da masana’antar aerospace.
Duk waɗannan isotopes suna taimakawa wajen kimiyya mai zurfi da nazarin yanayi masu zafi, da samar da bayanai masu amfani wajen ƙirƙirar alloys da kayan da ke buƙatar juriya ga radiation da lalacewa.
Samuwar zirconium
Zirconium ba ya samuwa a zallarsa a doron ƙasa saboda yana da ƙarfin haɗuwa da oxygen da sauran sinadarai. Ana samun shi ne mafi yawa a cikin ma’adanan dutse kamar zircon (ZrSiO₄), wanda shi ne ma’adanin da ke samar da zirconium mafi yawa a duniya. Haka kuma, zirconium na samuwa a cikin baddeleyite (ZrO₂), wani ma’adanin oxide.
A cikin ruwan teku, zirconium ions (Zr⁴⁺) suna samuwa amma ba yawa, yayin da a yanayin volcanic, zirconium na kasancewa a matsayin silicate ko oxide a wasu duwatsu na volcanic.
Ƙasashe masu samar da zirconium
Yawancin kasashen da ke samar da zirconium sun haɗa da Australia, South Africa, India, Brazil, da Russia. Waɗannan ƙasashe suna taka muhimmiyar rawa wajen masana’antu da fasaha, musamman wajen samar da alloys, kayan aerospace, da fasahar nukiliya.
Hanyoyin tace zirconium
Ana samun zirconium tsantsa daga ma’adanan zircon da baddeleyite ta hanyoyi biyu mafi shahara:
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Kroll process
Ana mayar da zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂) zuwa zirconium tetrachloride (ZrCl₄) ta hanyar haɗawa da chlorine a cikin carbon. Daga nan sai a rage ZrCl₄ ta amfani da magnesium ko sodium don samar da zirconium zalla. Wannan hanya ce mafi yawan amfani a masana’antu saboda tana ba da zirconium tatacce sosai.
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Hydrometallurgical process
Ana amfani da acids masu ƙarfi ko alkaline don fitar da zirconium daga ma’adanan da ke da ƙarancin inganci (low-grade ores). Daga nan sai a tace shi zuwa zirconium hydroxide kafin a rage shi zuwa tsantsa. Wannan hanya na da amfani musamman a lokacin da ake son fitar da zirconium daga ores marasa inganci sosai.
Duk waɗannan matakan tacewa suna buƙatar kulawa sosai saboda chlorine, magnesium, da sodium suna da haɗari idan ba a bi matakan kariya ba. Haka kuma, oxide layers da zirconium ke samarwa suna taimakawa wajen rage haɗarin oxidation da tsatsa yayin sarrafawa.
Amfani da zirconium
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Fasahar nukiliya da makamashi
Zirconium yana da matuƙar amfani a fannin nukiliya saboda yana da ƙarancin neutron absorption, wato ba ya ɗaukar neutrons sosai. Wannan ta sa ake amfani da shi wajen yin cladding na rods na uranium a reactors ɗin nukiliya, wanda ke kare rod ɗin daga lalacewa da kuma tabbatar da aikin reactor cikin aminci.
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Masana’antar aerospace da jiragen sama
Zirconium alloys suna da ƙarfin gaske da juriya ga zafi, saboda haka ana amfani da su wajen ƙera sassa na injuna, fuskar jirgi, da wasu kayayyakin aiki na aerospace da ke buƙatar juriya ga yanayi mai tsanani.
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Kayayyakin likitanci
Zirconium oxide (ZrO₂), wanda ake kira zirconia, yana da tauri da juriya sosai ga murmushewa. Wannan ya sa ake amfani da shi wajen ƙera dental crowns, implants, da wasu kayayyakin aikin likitanci.
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Kayan lantarki da ceramics
Zirconia yana da juriya ga zafi da wuta, saboda haka ana amfani da shi wajen ƙera insulators, refractory materials, da ceramics masu juriya ga lalacewa.
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Fasahar sinadarai
Zirconium compounds kamar zirconium sulfate da zirconium chloride suna amfani a fannin tanning na fata, pigments, da catalysts a masana’antar sinadarai.
Illolin Zirconium
Duk da alfanunsa masu yawa, zirconium na iya zama haɗari a wasu yanayi:
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Powder
Zirconium foda ko powder na fashewa idan ta haɗu da iska mai ɗumi ko wuta. Saboda haka, ma’aikata suna buƙatar matakan kariya sosai wajen sarrafa foda.
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Shaƙa foda
Shaƙar zirconium foda ko ƙura mai ƙarfi na iya haddasa rikicewar numfashi, matsalolin huhu, da wasu matsalolin numfashi.
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Allergic reactions
Duk da cewa zirconium oxide ba shi da guba sosai, wasu mutane na iya fuskantar allergic reactions idan aka yi amfani da shi a dental implants ko kayayyakin likitanci.
Manazarta
Ul‑Hamid, A. (2020). Microstructure, properties and applications of Zr‑carbide, Zr‑nitride and Zr‑carbonitride coatings: A review. Materials Advances, 1, 1012–1037.
Vlasov, A. (n.d.). Five Interesting Facts to Know About Zirconium. International Atomic Energy Agency.
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. (n.d.). Zirconium metal and zirconium alloys in nuclear applications. OECD-NEA.
Zircon Industry Association. (n.d.). Chemical applications of zirconia and zirconium. Zircon Industry Association.
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