Zircon 101: where will new demand come from?
By Siobhan Lismore-Scott, Cameron Perks
Published: Monday, 02 October 2017
Zircon is important - and some would argue irreplaceable - in markets such as ceramics, which accounts for around 50% of demand. But, as Cameron Perks, IM Correspondent, discovers, there are new sources of interest within that same industry - and demand projections vary wildly.
Zircon (zirconium silicate - ZrSiO4) is an important source
of zirconia (zirconium oxide - ZrO2) and zirconium
(Zr). Due to its density of 4.68, economic quantities of
zircon are primarily contained within heavy mineral sands
(HMS), a type of sedimentary deposit. Additional small
quantities are also currently derived from baddeleyite
mining...