Zirconium nitrate of chemical suppliers. It is used as a source of zirconium for other salts, as an analytical standard, or as a preservative. Zirconium nitrate and nitronium pentanitratozirconate can be used as chemical vapour deposition precursors as they are volatile, and decompose above 100 °C to form zirconia. At 95°C zirconium nitrate sublimes with a pressure of 0.2 mm of Hg and can be deposited as zirconium dioxide on silicon at 285°C. It has the advantage in that it is a single source, meaning it does not have to be mixed with other materials like oxygen, and decomposes at a relatively
Zirconium dioxide coatings; it is a high-index material usable from the near-UV to the mid-IR, due to its low absorption in this spectral region. In such applications, it is typically deposited by PVD. In jewelry making, some watch cases are advertised as being "black zirconium oxide". In 2015 Omega released a fully ZrO watch named "The Dark Side of The Moon" with ceramic case, bezel, pushers and clasp, advertising it as four times harder than stainless steel and therefore much more resistant to scratches during everyday use. Single crystals of the cubic phase of zirconia are commonly used as diamond simulant in