zirconio

Zirconio is a term used for zirconium oxide and its stabilized ceramics, commonly known as zirconia, and for the zircon silicate mineral ZrSiO4 when discussed in geology and gemology. In practice, zirconio can denote either the oxide-based ceramic material or the natural mineral, depending on context.

Natural zircon, ZrSiO4, is a silicate mineral that occurs in igneous rocks and in placer deposits. It is an accessory mineral in granites and metamorphic rocks and is valued as a gemstone under the trade name zircon, which can display a range of colors from colorless to yellow, brown, or green. Zircon is also important in geochronology because its crystal structure concentrates uranium and thorium while excluding lead, enabling U-Pb dating.

Zirconia refers to zirconium oxide (ZrO2) and related stabilized ceramics. Pure monoclinic ZrO2 is brittle at room temperature, so stabilizers such as yttria (Y2O3) or magnesia (MgO) are added to yield a tetragonal or cubic phase at room temperature. This stabilization produces high fracture toughness, thermal stability, and wear resistance, making zirconia useful for demanding engineering applications. Zirconia ceramics are common in dental crowns and implants, cutting tools, thermal and chemical resistant components, and solid oxide fuel cell electrolytes. It is also used as refractory material and in laboratory crucibles.

Production and handling: Zirconia is produced by processing zirconium compounds, followed by calcination and doping to obtain stabilized phases. Both zircon and zirconia are generally considered non-toxic, though handling of fine powders requires standard safety practices.