Zirconium has excellent properties such as high hardness, high melting point, low thermal expansion coefficient and corrosion resistance, etc. Its alloy is widely used in the field of nuclear engineering. For example, Zr-2.5Nb alloy is used as nuclear fuel cladding tube material due to its excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical properties, especially its low thermal neutron capture capability. Zirconium has the characteristics of bionon-toxicity and low modulus. In recent years, it has attracted extensive attention in the field of biomedicine, such as gradually replacing the traditional TiAlV alloy in human prosthetics and other medical applications.
At the same time, zirconium is also an alternative material for the development of aerospace vehicles due to its advantages such as high radiation resistance, good creep resistance and low density. However, the strength of zirconium metal is only 300~400 MPa, which cannot meet the strength requirements of structural materials. Therefore, alloying treatment is needed to improve its strength and other mechanical properties. With the continuous improvement and development of alloy design methods, the application range of zirconium metal is also expanding, such as the application in the design of amorphous alloy materials, coating materials, etc.
