Zr
Abbreviation with 2 meanings
| Stands for | Zirconium |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 2 |
| Categories | Science & Engineering, Geography & Places |
| Also written | ZR |
Zr has two meanings. It stands for Zirconium (chemical element) or Zaire (country code).
Meanings of Zr at a glance
| # | Zr stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zirconium | Science & Engineering › Chemical Element |
| 2 | Zaire | Geography & Places › Country Code |
1. Zirconium
Science & Engineering · Chemical Element Abbreviations
Zirconium (atomic number 40) barely absorbs neutrons, so zirconium-alloy tubes clad the uranium fuel in most nuclear reactors. Its oxide, cubic zirconia, is a popular diamond substitute, and zirconia ceramics are used for dental crowns and knives. Zircon crystals from Western Australia, about 4.4 billion years old, are the oldest known pieces of Earth.
Example: Fuel rods use Zr alloy cladding because it is nearly transparent to neutrons and resists hot water.
Martin Heinrich Klaproth identified the new oxide in the gemstone zircon in 1789, and Berzelius isolated the impure metal in 1824. The name comes from zircon, probably from Persian zargun (gold-colored). In the 2011 Fukushima accident, overheated zirconium cladding reacted with steam to produce hydrogen, which caused explosions in reactor buildings.
2. Zaire (ZR)
Geography & Places · Country Code Abbreviations
Former ISO code for Zaire, the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 1997 under Mobutu Sese Seko. It was replaced by CD after the country was renamed.
Example: Archival trade statistics list copper exports from ZR in the 1980s.
Zaire was also the name of the country's currency and of the Congo River during that period.
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