Zirconium and Hafnium Statistics and Information

The principal economic source of zirconium is the zirconium silicate mineral, zircon (ZrSiO₄).  Zircon is the primary source of all hafnium.  Zirconium and hafnium are contained in zircon at a ratio of about 50 to 1.  Zircon is a coproduct or byproduct of the mining and processing of heavy-mineral sands for the titanium minerals, ilmenite and rutile, or tin minerals.  The major end uses of zircon are refractories, foundry sands (including investment casting), and ceramic opacification.  Zircon is also marketed as a natural gemstone, and its oxide is processed to produce the diamond simulant, cubic zirconia.  Zirconium is used in nuclear fuel cladding, chemical piping in corrosive environments, heat exchangers, and various specialty alloys.  The major end uses of hafnium are in nuclear control rods, nickel-based superalloys, nozzles for plasma arc metal cutting, and high-temperature ceramics.

Subscribe to receive an email notification when a new publication is added to this page. On the Questions tab of the subscriber preferences page, select "Zirconium/Hafnium" and any other options in which you may be interested. Please see the list services page for more information.

Annual Publications

Mineral Commodity Summaries

• Zirconium and Hafnium
    PDF Format:
  | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |2013 |2014 |2015 |2016 |2017 |2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
• Appendixes

Minerals Yearbook

• Zirconium and Hafnium
    PDF Format:    | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
    XLS Format:
       | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 Tables-Only Release |
• Archive
       | 1932-1993 |
• Recycling-Metals

Special Publications

• Critical Mineral Resources of the United States--Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply
  Professional Paper 1802
  • Zirconium and hafnium
• Critical Minerals Review 2021
• Deposit Model for Heavy-Mineral Sands in Coastal Environments
  Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5070-L
• Earth Mapping Resources Initiative (Earth MRI) - Focus areas for data acquisition for potential domestic resources of 13 critical minerals in the conterminous United States and Puerto Rico — Antimony, barite, beryllium, chromium, fluorspar, hafnium, helium, magnesium, manganese, potash, uranium, vanadium, and zirconium
• Historical Statistics for Mineral and Material Commodities in the United States
  Data Series 140
  • Hafnium
  • Zirconium Mineral Concentrates
• International Strategic Minerals Inventory Summary Report; Zirconium
  Circular 930-L
• Metal Prices in the United States through 2010
  Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5188

Links

• Zircon Industry Association