Are zirconium alloys or zirconium materials toxic?

Zirconium is non-toxic. I. Corrosion resistance of zirconium: The zirconium used in the chemical industry is pure metal zirconium of very high purity; its chemical composition and mechanical properties are shown in Table 1. Table 1 Material grades and chemical composition (%): R60702 – Zr+Hf, Hf, Fe+Cr, H, N, C, O; values: ≥99.2, ≤4.5, ≤0.2, ≤0.005, ≤0.025, ≤0.05, ≤0.16. Mechanical properties: Tensile strength ≥, MPa; Yield strength ≥, MPa; Elongation ≥, MPa: 379, 207, 16. Zinc is a reactive metal; its standard electrode potential at 25°C is -1.53 V, which is more negative than that of iron (-0.036 V) and copper (0.336 V). According to chemical thermodynamics, zirconium is less stable than iron and copper in corrosive environments, meaning it is more susceptible to corrosion. However, zirconium has a high affinity for oxygen; when exposed to an oxygen-containing environment (such as room-temperature air or water), a dense oxide film with strong adhesion forms on its surface. Below 300°C, this film can heal itself to protect the base metal from chemical or mechanical damage. Therefore, zirconium can resist many chemicals, including various inorganic acids (such as hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, etc.), bases, most organic acids (such as acetic acid, formic acid, etc.), various salt solutions, and the corrosion of molten bases. One of the most important corrosion-resistant properties of zirconium is its excellent corrosion resistance in hydrochloric acid at all concentrations and temperatures, even above the boiling point (see Figure 1)⑥. Hydrochloric acid is the most corrosive inorganic acid; even a small amount of it present in process media can cause severe corrosion of various corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steels and titanium alloys. Figure 2 shows the anodic polarization curve of zirconium in hydrochloric acid. According to Figure 2, the anodic polarization curve of zirconium in hydrochloric acid shows no activation region, and its pitting potential in hydrochloric acid is lower than its corrosion potential; therefore, zirconium is less prone to crevice corrosion, pitting corrosion, and stress corrosion in hydrochloric acid. This is the fundamental guarantee for the widespread use of zirconium in hydrochloric acid-based industries. However, when certain oxidizing ions such as Fe+3 are present in hydrochloric acid, the corrosion potential of zirconium is polarized beyond its pitting potential, resulting in pitting or stress corrosion (see Figure 3)⑦. Therefore, when zirconium equipment is operating in a hydrochloric acid medium, the presence of other oxidizing ions is not allowed. ATI China (Huachang)

Zirconium is non-toxic, but it is not cost-effective! A more cost-effective material is a tantalum surface alloying material called tantaline, which involves using nanotechnology to coat the surface of 316L with a layer of tantalum that offers exceptional corrosion resistance. Its price is only 2/3 that of Hastelloy C, yet its service life is 100 times longer than that of Hastelloy B3. It can be used for extended periods in pressurized hydrochloric acid at 190 degrees Celsius with a concentration of less than 25%, or at 120 degrees Celsius in pressurized hydrochloric acid with a concentration of 37%. In sulfuric acid with a concentration of less than 40%, it can operate at around 250 degrees Celsius. Better than zirconium!

Zirconium alloys are non-toxic, and zirconium materials are also non-toxic. Use the reaction tower from the acetic acid project.