Zirconium tetrafluoride reactors.) Zirconium tetrafluoride Zirconium(IV) fluoride (ZrF) is an inorganic chemical compound. It is a component of ZBLAN fluoride glass. It is insoluble in water. It is the main component of fluorozirconate glasses. Three crystalline phases of ZrF have been reported, α (monoclinic), β (tetragonal, Pearson symbol tP40, space group P42/m, No 84) and γ (unknown structure). β and γ phases are unstable and irreversibly transform into the α phase at 400 °C. Zirconium fluoride is used as a zirconium source in oxygen-sensitive applications, e.g. metal production. Zirconium fluoride can be purified by distillation or sublimation. Conditions/substances to avoid are: moisture,
Cubic zirconia a strong, complex rare earth absorption spectrum. Discovered in 1892, the yellowish monoclinic mineral baddeleyite is a natural form of zirconium oxide. The high melting point of zirconia (2750 °C or 4976 °F) hinders controlled growth of single crystals. However, stabilization of cubic zirconium oxide had been realized early on, with the synthetic product "stabilized zirconia" introduced in 1929. Although cubic, it was in the form of a polycrystalline ceramic: it was used as a refractory material, highly resistant to chemical and thermal attack (up to 2540 °C or 4604 °F). In 1937, German mineralogists M. V. Stackelberg and K.