ABSTRACT
Zirconium, atomic number 40 and atomic weight 91.22, was identified by
the German chemist, Klaproth, in 1789. However, the metal itself was not
isolated until 1824, when Berzelius produced a brittle, impure metal powder
by the reduction of potassium fluorozirconate with potassium. One hundred
years later, van Arkel and de Boer developed the iodide decomposition
process to make a pure, ductile metal in Einhoven, Holland. The “iodide
crystal bar” process continues to be used today as a method of purifying
titanium, zirconium, and hafnium, even though it is slow and expensive.
