Something You Should Know About Zirconium Pipes

What are Zirconium Pipes and Tubes?

Zirconium pipes and tubes are famous for their long-lasting strength in extreme temperatures and chemical environments. They are used extensively in various fields like chemical industries and nuclear sectors. Advanced Refractory Metals (ARM) is a global supplier of metal materials. Zirconium pipes and tubes in different sizes and grades are available on our website.

The Element-Zirconium

Zirconium (atomic symbol: Zr, atomic number: 40) is a metal element located in Block D, Group 4, and Period 5 in the periodic table. Zirconium is a very strong silver-gray metal. Its properties are similar to hafnium (Hf) and titanium (Ti).

This metal is highly resistant to heat and corrosion, so it is used to make products used in nuclear applications, chemical processing, heat exchangers, pipes and fittings, etc. Advanced Refractory Metals supplies high-quality zirconium products in the form of foils, sheets, plates, bars, and a variety of zirconium alloys.

Zirconium Manufacturing Process

Zirconium mainly comes from the mineral zircon (zirconium silicate, or ZrSiO₄). It is produced as a byproduct of titanium and tin mining. This element was not known to the world until 1789 when Klaproth discovered it from jargon. Many attempts were made later to isolate and produce high-purity zirconium.

The production of zirconium needs special techniques. Most zirconium metal is produced from zircon by reducing the zirconium chloride with magnesium metal in the Kroll process. Hot rolling, cold rolling, extruding, and even separation of zirconium and hafnium are needed for producing zirconium.

Zirconium Features

Zirconium is a transitional metal. This silver metal has a density of 6.49 g / cm³, a melting point of 1852 ° C, and a boiling point of 4377 ° C. There are 4 grades of zirconium products in the chemical industry: Zr702, Zr704, Zr705, and Zr706. Major properties of zirconium pipes for industrial uses are:

• High heat transfer efficiency
• Very low thermal expansion
• High resistance to erosion and corrosion
• Very good resistance in strong acids
• Low thermal neutron absorption

Advanced Refractory Metals provide three grades of zirconium pipes, and their detailed features are listed below.

Table 1 Description of Zirconium Pipes

 What are Zirconium Pipes Used for?

Zirconium pipes and tubes are used in chemical processes.

Zirconium is a highly corrosion-resistant material used in the chemical industry. These metal pipes and tubes could protect other materials in chemical reactions by forming a stable oxide film. Zirconium can resist various corrosions like pitting, stress, and crevice. It is also unaffected by harsh acids, alkalis, and some molten salts, but it is soluble in hydrofluoric acid.

Zirconium pipes and tubes are used in nuclear reactions.

Zirconium pipes and tubes are an ideal choice for nuclear sectors due to their great thermal properties. These products also have low neutron absorption ability, so they are used in building nuclear reactors. These goods include control rods and cladding, coolant channels, seal tubes, and other equipment in a radioactive situation. But make sure to choose the low hafnium grade zirconium pipes for nuclear sectors. Commonly, we use Zr-702 and Zr-704 for their resistance to high steam temperatures and huge yield stress.

Zirconium pipes and tubes are used as heater exchangers.

A majority of zirconium and its alloy pipes and tubes are used as heat exchangers, coolers, and condensers due to their unique thermal features and chemical properties. These materials save lots of costs compared with others, and they have a longer life and low maintenance.

Zirconium is used for long-lasting pipe systems.

Zirconium pipes and tubes are widely used for their corrosion resistance, high hardness, and high melting point. These pipes and tubes could offer lots of advantages. First, zirconium pipes and tubes are rather competitive in terms of cost. Thanks to their durability, these systems could last many years. Potential failures and possible fluid leaks would be removed as well. Advanced Refractory Metals offers a range of premium pipes and tubes for consumers.

Zirconium pipes and tubes could be applied in other industries as well. For more information, please visit our website for your quote.

Product Specifications - Zirconium Pipes

Advanced Refractory Metals provides different kinds of zirconium pipes and tubes of various sizes and grades. Details on the sizes of zirconium pipes are listed as follows. There are three grades available. Grade R60702 refers to the unalloyed zirconium; Grade R60704 refers to the zirconium-tin alloy; Grade R60705 means the zirconium-niobium alloy. Advanced Refractory Metals also produces other zirconium products such as pellets, powder, pieces, and wires. Zirconium alloy and compounds are also available. Please get other shapes by request.

Table 2 Sizes of Zirconium Pipes

Table 3 Chemical Composition of Zirconium Pipes

Conclusion

Advanced Refractory Metals provides zirconium pipes and related products at competitive prices and within a short time. Great delivery and nice customer services are also available on our website. Cushioning materials and stiff packaging are used to prevent any damage during transportation. For customized zirconium pipes, please contact us for more messages.