Zirconium Chemicals

Zirconium chemicals have been increasingly used in a large variety of industrial applications, such as paint driers, antiperspirants, automotive catalysts and paper coatings. Although these applications address distinct markets, they all require zirconium chemicals with high purity, precise chemical formulation control and consistent quality.

Saint-Gobain ZirPro is a world-leading supplier of zirconium chemicals — zirconium oxychloride (ZOC), zirconium basic carbonate (ZBC), zirconium sulfate (AZST) and zirconium hydroxide (ZHO) — and a trusted partner for high-performance and cost-effective operations. As a technical expert in industrial zirconium chemistry with a strong presence around the world, ZirPro helps customers select the most appropriate zirconium chemicals and the most relevant process to achieve technical and productivity requirements.

High reactive zirconium chemicals for all industry needs

ZirPro’s zirconium chemicals — ZOC, ZBC, AZST and ZHO — are the best starting materials for manufacturing the secondary zirconium chemicals used in industrial applications. They offer consistent high chemical purity and reactivity, allowing efficient conversion into secondary zirconium chemicals. This usually is accomplished by dissolution in mineral or organic acids at given concentrations and stoechiometries.

Growing interest in many industrial applications

Zirconium chemicals are used in many industrial applications, either as raw materials for the manufacture of advanced complex zirconium dioxides or as inorganic cross-linkers. ZOC, zirconium nitrate or acetate can be used as raw materials in chemical processes for manufacturing complex doped zirconium dioxides. A well-known example is rare-earth doped zirconium oxides (CeO2, La2O3) used as catalyst carriers in automotive applications.

Thanks to the strong chemical complexing power of zirconium toward a large number of chemical functions (oxygen, hydroxyl, carboxyl, sulfate or fluoride groups in particular), zirconium chemicals have become unavoidable cross-linking agents in a variety of applications instead of fully organic or other metallic-based cross-linkers. These cross-linking agents offer higher and more stable performance at high temperature and pressure with no impact on the environment or the health and safety of the users. Some typical applications include the use of ammonium zirconium carbonate in paper coatings, zirconium acetate in investment casting, zirconium fluorides in aluminum coatings and zirconium sulfate in titania pigments coatings. 

ZirPro offers the best solution for manufacturing advanced complex zirconium dioxides and inorganic cross-linkers.