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Thorium vs Zirconium


Zirconium vs Thorium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Th   
Zr   

Group Number
0   
18
4   
14

Period Number
7   
5   

Block
f block   
d block   

Element Family
Actinide   
Transition Metal   

CAS Number
7440326   
99+
7440677   
23

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
P63/mmc   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
194.00   
5

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • Thorium metal is used as an alternate option over Uranium for nuclear fuel.
  • Thorium metals appearance (silvery white, soft) is somewhat similar to Lead metal.
  
  • Zirconium metal can resist to weak acids.
  • Zirconium metal reacts with oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere.
  

Sources
Found in Minerals, Mining   
Found in Minerals, Mining, Ores of Minerals   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Jöns Jakob Berzelius   
Martin Heinrich Klaproth   

Discovery
In 1829   
In 1789   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
3 * 10-4 %   
9
5 * 10-6 %   
13

Abundance In Sun
~0.0004 %   
9
~0.000004 %   
16

Abundance In Meteorites
0.05 %   
11
0.00 %   
17

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.66 %   
7
0.01 %   
14

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
15
0.00 %   
23

Abundance In Humans
Not Available   
0.00 %   
15

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • Thorium metal is used as an allying agent for Magnesium, It imparts greater strength and resistance to temperature.
  • compound of this metal Thorium oxide is used as an industrial catalyst.
  
  • As this metal does not absorb neutrons; It is used in nuclear power stations.
  • Its oxide is used in ultra strong ceramics. It is also used in manufacturing Crucibles.
  

Industrial Uses
Aerospace Industry, Automobile Industry, Chemical Industry, Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   
Aerospace Industry, Ammunition Industry   

Medical Uses
Dentistry, Surgical Instruments Manufacturing   
NA   

Other Uses
Alloys, Jewellery, Sculptures, Statues   
Alloys, Nuclear Research, Research Purposes   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Non Toxic   
NA   

Present in Human Body
Yes   
Yes   

In Blood
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
33
0.01 Blood/mg dm-3   
21

In Bone
0.02 p.p.m.   
29
0.10 p.p.m.   
23

Physical Properties

Melting Point
1,750.00 °C   
17
1,852.00 °C   
15

Boiling Point
4,790.00 °C   
8
4,377.00 °C   
11

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Silver   
Silvery White   

Luster
NA   
Lustrous   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
3.00   
12
5.00   
8

Brinell Hardness
390.00 MPa   
29
638.00 MPa   
19

Vickers Hardness
295.00 MPa   
29
820.00 MPa   
15

Speed of Sound
2,490.00 m/s   
36
3,800.00 m/s   
20

Optical Properties
  
  

Allotropes
No   
No   

α Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

β Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

γ Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula
Th   
Zr   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
28   
11
24   
15

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.30   
32
1.33   
30

Sanderson Electronegativity
Not Available   
0.90   
25

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.11   
29
1.22   
26

Allen Electronegativity
Not Available   
1.32   
34

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.70   
22
2.67   
24

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
587.00 kJ/mol   
99+
640.10 kJ/mol   
99+

2nd Energy Level
1,110.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,270.00 kJ/mol   
99+

3rd Energy Level
1,978.00 kJ/mol   
99+
2,218.00 kJ/mol   
99+

4th Energy Level
2,780.00 kJ/mol   
99+
3,313.00 kJ/mol   
99+

5th Energy Level
Not Available   
7,752.00 kJ/mol   
10

6th Energy Level
Not Available   
9,500.00 kJ/mol   
15

Electrochemical Equivalent
2.16 g/amp-hr   
24
0.85 g/amp-hr   
99+

Electron Work Function
3.41 eV   
32
4.05 eV   
26

Other Chemical Properties
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity   
Anti Corrosion, Flammable, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
90   
28
40   
99+

Electron Configuration
[Rn] 6d2 7s2   
[Kr] 4d2 5s2   

Crystal Structure
Face Centered Cubic (FCC)   
Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP)   

Crystal Lattice
FCC-Crystal-Structure-of-Thorium.jpg#100   
HCP-Crystal-Structure-of-Zirconium.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
90   
28
40   
99+

Number of Neutrons
142   
15
51   
99+

Number of Electrons
90   
28
40   
99+

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
179.80 pm   
15
160.00 pm   
27

Covalent Radius
206.00 pm   
7
175.00 pm   
23

Van der Waals Radius
237.00 pm   
15
200.00 pm   
28

Atomic Weight
232.04 amu   
23
91.22 amu   
99+

Atomic Volume
19.90 cm3/mol   
20
14.10 cm3/mol   
36

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Actinium
  
Yttrium
  

Next Element
Niobium
  

Valence Electron Potential
59.30 (-eV)   
23
80.00 (-eV)   
18

Lattice Constant
508.42 pm   
14
323.20 pm   
99+

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, π/2   
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3   

Lattice C/A Ratio
Not Available   
1.59   
8

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
11.72 g/cm3   
32
6.52 g/cm3   
99+

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
Not Available   
5.80 g/cm3   
99+

Tensile Strength
Not Available   
330.00 MPa   
12

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
0.00 (Pa)   
22
0.00 (Pa)   
21

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
31.00 GPa   
21
33.00 GPa   
20

Bulk Modulus
54.00 GPa   
22
91.10 GPa   
17

Young's Modulus
79.00 GPa   
24
88.00 GPa   
22

Poisson Ratio
0.27   
20
0.34   
10

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile   
Ductile, Malleable   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
11.70   
23
6.51   
99+

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Superconductor   
Conductor   

Resistivity
157.00 nΩ·m   
22
421.00 nΩ·m   
11

Electrical Conductivity
0.07 106/cm Ω   
31
0.02 106/cm Ω   
99+

Electron Affinity
Not Available   
41.10 kJ/mol   
27

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.12 J/(kg K)   
40
0.27 J/(kg K)   
19

Molar Heat Capacity
26.23 J/mol·K   
30
25.36 J/mol·K   
99+

Thermal Conductivity
54.00 W/m·K   
28
22.60 W/m·K   
99+

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Expansion
11.00 µm/(m·K)   
36
5.70 µm/(m·K)   
99+

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
429.00 kJ/mol   
15
581.60 kJ/mol   
9

Enthalpy of Fusion
15.48 kJ/mol   
19
20.90 kJ/mol   
11

Enthalpy of Atomization
468.60 kJ/mol   
15
598.00 kJ/mol   
10

Standard Molar Entropy
27.30 J/mol.K   
99+
39.00 J/mol.K   
39

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