UNITED STATES MINERAL RESOURCES 



ZIRCONIUM AND HAFNIUM 



By Harry Klemic, David Gottfried, Margaret Cooper, and Sherman P. Marsh 



CONTENTS 



Abstract of conclusions 



Introduction 



Zirconium and hafnium metals 



Uses of zirconium 



Uses of hafnium 



Production 



Estimated U.S. production of zirconium 



. concentrates 



Production of zirconium and hafnium 



Prices 



Trade 



Geologic environment 



General geochemical and mineralogic 



considerations 



Abundance and distribution in rocks of the 



crust 



Behavior of zirconium in magmatic processes 

 Behavior of hafnium in magmatic processes _ 



Types of deposits 



Primary deposits 



Secondary deposits 



Resources 



Identified resources 



Hypothetical resources 



Problems for research 



Selected references 



FIGURE 



Graph showing U.S. consumption, imports, and 

 exports of zirconium concentrates, 1944-71 



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TABLES 



157. 



158. 



159. 



Production of zirconium concentrates from five 

 nations, 1968-70 



Selected data on zirconium, hafnium, and geo- 

 chemically associated elements 



Abundances of zirconium and hafnium in ter- 

 restrial rocks 



717 



717 



160. 



161. 

 162. 



General range of zirconium-hafnium ratios in 



zircon from igneous rocks 



Identified world resources of zircon 



Identified zircon resources of the United States- 



719 

 720 

 720 



ABSTRACT OF CONCLUSIONS 

 Zirconium and hafnium are metals that are useful prin- 

 cipally in metallic form in the chemical and nuclear reactor 

 industries and in mineral form as zircon (ZrSiOi) in the 

 metal foundi-y and glass industries. Zircon and baddeleyite 

 (ZrOa) are the principal sources of zirconium, and hafnium 

 is recovered in extracting reactor-grade zirconium. Both 

 metals are reduced by the Kroll process. 



Zircon and baddeleyite occur as primary minerals in 

 alkaline-rich igneous rocks, but zircon is recovered mainly 

 from titanium-bearing placer sands. The United States is a 

 major producer and consumer of zircon and imports large 

 quantities from Australia, which is the world's largest pro- 

 ducer of zircon. Identified resources of zircon in the United 

 States are about 10,800,000 short tons, of which nearly 80 

 percent is in the Atlantic Coastal States. U.S. production 

 is solely from Florida and Georgia, as a byproduct of titanium 

 production. 



World identified resources exceed 36 million short tons 

 of zircon equivalent. World production of zirconium con- 

 centrates in 1970 was more than 450,000 tons. Of this, the 

 the United States used about 30 percent. Current supplies of 

 zircon exceed demand for a few decades, but environmental 

 problems may limit mining of some placers in the near fu- 

 ture. Research is needed to find alternate sources and means 

 of extracting zirconium minerals. 



INTRODUCTION 



Zirconium and hafnium are elements that in their 

 metallic forms are principally useful in the chemical 

 and nuclear-reactor industries, in applications for 

 which corrosion resistance, structural stability at 

 high temperatures, specific alloying properties, or 

 specific neutron-absorption characteristics are re- 

 quired. About 8 percent of all the zirconium 

 consumed in the United States is used in these indus- 

 tries (Stamper and Chin, 1970a, b). The most com- 

 mon naturally occurring zirconium- and hafnium- 

 rich mineral, zircon (ZrSiOJ, which generally con- 



U.S. GEOL. SURVEY PROF. PAPER 820 



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