Zirconium has good metallic properties and can be produced into various forms of products. There are many kinds of zirconium products. The initial mineral form is zircon sand. After caustic soda, water washing and other processing, primary products such as zirconium silicate and zirconium chloride can be generated. Continue to calcination, chlorination, reduction can also be made into zirconia, industrial grade sponge zirconium products; If the purification and separation technology reaches a certain level, nuclear grade zirconium sponge can be made.

Zirconium has a wide range of applications, mainly in the form of zirconium silicate, zirconia used in ceramics, refractories and other fields. Only 3% to 4% of zirconium ore is processed into zirconium metal (or zirconium sponge) and further processed into zirconium materials. Due to the small thermal neutron absorption cross section of zirconium metal, zirconium metal has excellent nuclear performance. Nuclear grade zirconium is used as the structural material of nuclear aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and civil power reactors, and uranium fuel element cladding, etc. Nuclear grade zirconium can be regarded as an important strategic metal and is closely related to the development of nuclear industry.

As an active metal, zirconium forms an oxide film at room temperature, which makes zirconium and its alloys have excellent corrosion resistance. At the same time, zirconium has good mechanical and heat transfer properties, coupled with significant cost advantages, so that it has become an excellent corrosion resistant structural material in the field of petrochemical industry.

In chemical acid and alkali resistant equipment, military, electronic industry application of zirconium called industrial grade zirconium.