Top Industries purchasing Zirconium (Zr)
Zirconium consumption is categorized into two segments: mineral zircon and zirconium metal/alloys.
The nuclear power sector is the dominant purchaser of refined zirconium metal, accounting for over 95%.
Major Individual Company Purchasers
Caution: This content was sourced and arranged by AI and thus may be subject to errors, biases, omissions, or antiquation.
This information can provide a general sense of industry dynamics, but may be unreliable in its specifics, or as an isolated basis for investment decisions.
Zirconium consumption is categorized into two segments: mineral zircon and zirconium metal/alloys.
The nuclear power sector is the dominant purchaser of refined zirconium metal, accounting for over 95%.
| Rank | Industry | Volume (MT) | % Usage | Primary Applications |
| 1 | Ceramics & Tiles | ~412,500 | ~33% | Glazes, frits, enamels, and opacifiers for high-end tiles. |
| 2 | Nuclear Power | ~250,000* | ~20% | Fuel-rod cladding (Zircaloy), reactor core internals, and guide tubes. |
| 3 | Foundry & Casting | ~187,500 | ~15% | Foundry sand and mold cores for precision metal casting. |
| 4 | Refractories | ~125,000 | ~10% | High-temperature furnace linings and glass-melting tanks. |
| 5 | Chemical Processing | ~75,000 | ~6% | Corrosion-resistant heat exchangers, pumps, valves, and piping. |
| 6 | Abrasives | ~50,000 | ~4% | Zirconia-alumina grinding wheels and sandpapers. |
| 7 | Aerospace & Defense | ~37,500 | ~3% | Turbine blades, heat shields, and engine components. |
| 8 | Electronics | ~25,000 | ~2% | Piezoelectric crystals, oxygen sensors, and smartphone casings. |
| 9 | Energy Storage | ~12,500 | ~1% | Electrolytes for solid-state batteries (LLZO). |
| 10 | Medical & Dental | ~10,000 | <1% | Biocompatible dental crowns, joint implants, and surgical tools. |
| 11 | Metallurgy & Alloys | ~8,000 | <1% | Alloying agent for magnesium, aluminum, and steel. |
| 12 | Catalysis | ~6,500 | <1% | Supports for industrial chemical catalysts. |
| 13 | Coatings & Paints | ~5,000 | <1% | High-performance protective and anti-corrosion surface coatings. |
| 14 | Jewelry (Synthetic) | ~2,500 | <1% | Production of cubic zirconia as diamond simulants. |
| 15 | Water Treatment | ~1,200 | Trace | Specialized ion-exchange resins and filtration media. |
| 16 | Optics | ~800 | Trace | High-refractive-index lenses and anti-reflective coatings. |
| 17 | Textiles | ~500 | Trace | Water-repellent finishes and tanning agents. |
| 18 | Paper Industry | ~300 | Trace | Fillers and coatings for specialized high-gloss paper. |
| 19 | 3D Printing | ~200 | Trace | Zirconium-based metal powders for additive manufacturing. |
| 20 | Telecommunications | ~150 | Trace | Fiber optic ferrules and 5G signal switches. |
Major Individual Company Purchasers
- Westinghouse Electric Company: A leading global purchaser of nuclear-grade zirconium metal for fuel assemblies and reactor components; operates the Western Zirconium subsidiary.
- Framatome: A major European purchaser and fabricator of zirconium alloys for nuclear fuel cladding and reactor internals.
- Saint-Gobain (ZirPro): A global leader in the purchase and processing of zirconia for ceramics, abrasives, and high-performance surface treatments.
- ATI Metals (Allegheny Technologies): A primary U.S. purchaser of zirconium metal for high-performance aerospace and defense alloys.
- Tosoh Corporation: A significant Japanese purchaser of high-purity zirconia for advanced ceramics and electronic materials.
- Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC): An Indian government entity that is a major purchaser of zirconium for the country's domestic nuclear energy program.
- China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC): A massive state-owned purchaser that manages China’s large nuclear reactor pipeline and fuel-cycle capacity.
- Chepetsky Mechanical Plant (CMP JSC): A primary Russian purchaser and processor (part of ROSATOM) that produces a significant portion of the world's nuclear-grade zirconium sponge.
- ZIRCOA INC: A leading industrial importer of zirconium ores in the United States, constituting over 50% of recent U.S. ore imports.
Caution: This content was sourced and arranged by AI and thus may be subject to errors, biases, omissions, or antiquation.
This information can provide a general sense of industry dynamics, but may be unreliable in its specifics, or as an isolated basis for investment decisions.