6 ms·

Zirconium and zirconium carbide are very different materials.

• ChuckMcM 8y ago
  Yes, but I don't understand what you are trying to say. For example, it reads like "Iron and Steel are very different materials" which is also true, but the majority of the mass in steel content is the element iron. Depending on when they were made, Nuclear fuel rods can be encased in Zircalloy which is an alloy of zirconium and tin or niobium. The "magic" material that is discussed in the article starts out as sintered zirconium carbide structures which are then mixed with molten tungsten and copper[2]. It isn't an alloy in the traditional sense I suppose. [1] https://www.mne.psu.edu/motta/chapters/Book%20Aug%202011/Chapter17_ZrAlloys.pdf https://www.mne.psu.edu/motta/chapters/Book%20Aug%202011/Cha... [2] The zircon carbide ends up providing the material with a stiffness even at high temperatures, while the tungsten is flexible enough to keep the whole thing from being brittle. And the whole thing conducted heat better than the metals currently in use.
  • 08-15 8y ago
    Zirconium and zirconium carbide are about as different as aluminium and clay. One is a metal, the other is a ceramic.