The acquisition and processing of zirconium materials mainly include steps such as raw material preparation, smelting, refining, and forming processing.

Raw material preparation: The main raw material for zirconium materials is zircon, which is rich in zirconium elements. In the raw material preparation stage, zircon needs to be crushed, ground, and screened to obtain the appropriate particle size for smelting and ensure that the zirconium content and quality meet the smelting requirements.

Smelting: Smelting is the core process for obtaining zirconium materials. The commonly used smelting methods include electrolysis and thermal reduction. The electrolysis method is to produce metallic zirconium by electrolyzing molten zirconium salts (such as zirconium chloride); The thermal reduction method is to use a reducing agent (such as carbon) to reduce zirconium oxide to metallic zirconium at high temperatures. Strict control of temperature, pressure, and electrolyte composition is required during the smelting process to ensure the purity and quality of zirconium.

Refining: The zirconium obtained after smelting usually contains a small amount of impurities, which need to be refined to further improve purity. During the refining process, methods such as vacuum distillation, zone melting, and electron beam melting can be used to remove impurity elements from zirconium. These refining methods can effectively improve the purity of zirconium and meet the requirements of different fields for zirconium materials.

Forming processing: Refined zirconium metal can undergo various forming processing operations, such as casting, rolling, forging, stretching, etc., to meet the needs of different fields. For example, in the nuclear industry, zirconium alloys are often processed into pipes and rods for use as structural materials in nuclear reactors.

In summary, the acquisition and processing of zirconium materials is a complex and intricate process involving multiple links and steps. Through scientific process control and quality management, the quality and purity of the final product can be ensured to meet the demand for zirconium in different fields.