Zirconium hydride

Zirconium hydride powder is a gray to black powder with the chemical formula of ZrH₂. It has physical and chemical properties such as high activity, hydrogen absorbing and releasing properties, thermal stability, etc. It has important applications in the fields of hydrogen energy, powder metallurgy, electronics industry and nuclear industry.

Properties

Chemical Formula: ZrH₂

Molecular weight: 93.24

CAS No.: 7704-99-6

Appearance: usually gray to black powder

High activity: Zirconium hydride powder has high chemical activity, it is easy to oxidize with oxygen in air to produce zirconium oxide and other substances, so it needs to be stored and handled in inert atmosphere or vacuum conditions.

Hydrogen absorption and release performance: it is an important hydrogen storage material, which can reversibly absorb and release a large amount of hydrogen under certain conditions. The process of hydrogen absorption is usually carried out under heating and certain pressure, while the release of hydrogen can be realized by heating or lowering the pressure, etc. This property makes it potentially applicable in the field of hydrogen energy storage and transmission.

Thermal stability: It is relatively stable at room temperature, but will decompose at high temperatures, releasing hydrogen and generating metallic zirconium. The decomposition temperature is related to the particle size of the powder, its purity, and the environment in which it is located, and it generally begins to decompose at about several hundred degrees Celsius.

Density and hardness: It has a certain density and hardness, with a density of about 5.6 g/cm³ and a relatively high hardness, which makes it able to provide good physical support and wear resistance in some applications.

Applications

Hydrogen energy field: As a potential high-performance hydrogen storage material, zirconium hydride powder can be used to develop efficient and safe hydrogen storage systems, providing key technical support for hydrogen energy applications such as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and distributed power generation, and is expected to solve the key problems in the storage and transportation of hydrogen energy.

Powder metallurgy: It can be added to metal powders as an additive and used to improve the properties of metal materials. In the process of powder metallurgy, the hydrogen generated by the decomposition of zirconium hydride powder during sintering can play a role in pore formation and grain refinement, thus improving the strength, toughness and densification of metal materials, which can be used to manufacture high-performance metal parts and alloy materials.

Electronic industry: zirconium hydride powder can be used for the preparation of electronic components in the absorbent material. It can absorb the residual gas inside the electronic device, improve the vacuum degree and stability of the device, extend the service life of the device, and has certain applications in the field of vacuum tubes and semiconductor devices.

Nuclear industry: Because zirconium has a low neutron absorption cross-section, zirconium hydride can be used as an excellent moderator and reflective layer material in nuclear reactors. It can effectively slow down the neutron velocity, improve the efficiency and safety of nuclear reactors, and has important applications in nuclear power systems, nuclear research facilities and other areas.