SUMMARY
The principal use for zirconium ores at present is determined by the refractory properties of the oxide, zirconia. Refractory bricks and shapes for furnace linings, chemical ware, and other heat, acid, and alkali resisting articles are made of zirconia, and are finding a limited market.
The recent interest in zirconium is due to the remarkable properties which it is said to impart to steel. Its real worth, or function, in that direction is yet to be definitely determined, and tests conducted by the Bureau of Mines, Bureau of Standards and others are being made to ascertain the facts.
The best and most available source of supply at present is Brazil, where the natural oxide, baddeleyite, occurs in considerable quantities in the states of Minas Geraes and Sao Paulo. The deposits have not been explored sufficiently to make any reliable estimate of tonnage possible, but, judged from their surface showing, they are of vast extent. The silicate, zircon, is found in Brazil, India and in the United States in commercial quantities.
The important deposits of zirconium minerals are controlled by Brazil, Great Britain and the United States, but the actual ownership of many of the deposits is unknown. This is particularly true of the oxide ores.