Zirconium Silicate

Zirconium silicate*, also zirconium orthosilicate, (ZrSiO4) is a chemical compound, a silicate of zirconium. It occurs in nature as the zircon, a silicate mineral. Zirconium silicate is also sometimes known as zircon flour.
Zirconium silicate is usually colorless, but impurities induce various colorations. It is insoluble in water, acids, alkali and aqua regia. Hardness is 7.5 on the Mohs scale.
Zirconium silicate is used for manufacturing refractory materials for applications where resistance to corrosion by alkali materials is required. It is also used in production of some ceramics, enamels, and ceramic glazes. In enamels and glazes it serves as an opacifier. It can be also present in some cements. Another use of zirconium silicate is as beads for milling and grinding. Thin films of zirconium silicate and hafnium silicate produced by chemical vapor deposition, most often MOCVD, can be used as a high-k dielectric as a replacement for silicon dioxide in semiconductors.
Zirconium silicates have also been used in medical applications. For example, ZS-9 is a zirconium silicate that was designed specifically to trap potassium ions over other ions throughout the gastrointestinal tract. ZS-9 is being developed for oral administration to treat hyperkalemia (increased serum potassium levels). Currently, the only product approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat hyperkalemia is sodium polystyrene sulfonate (Kayexalate). However, Kayexalate is an organic ion-exchange resin that nonspecifically entraps cations including potassium, magnesium, and calcium. Kayexalate has also been associated with cases of serious gastrointestinal adverse events and colonic necrosis