Zirconium silicate, also called zirconium orthosilicate, is a chemical compound. It is found in nature as the mineral and gemstone zircon, and in sand. Zirconium silicate sand is the main ore of the metal zirconium. The chemical formula of zirconium silicate is ZrSiO4.
The main source of zirconium silicate is sand. Sands with zirconium silicate are separated using spiral concentrators. This machine mixes the sand with water and lets it flow down a spiral-shaped tube similar to a playground slide. The slide acts like a gravity-powered centrifuge, separating heavier parts of the sand (zirconium silicate and sometimes other ores like ilmenite and rutile) from the lighter ones (silica).
Zirconium silicate will dissolve in an alkaline solution. Sodium hydroxide is a common base used to dissolve zircon. Leaching with water will wash away the soluble sodium silicate, leaving the solid sodium zirconate behind. This is the first step in making zirconium dioxide and zirconium metal.
Most natural zirconium silicate also contains small amounts of hafnium silicate. Because of the lanthanide contraction, zirconium and hafnium atoms have almost the same size, so they are hard to separate. Pure zirconium silicate can be made in a lab by mixing pure zirconium dioxide and silica.