The application of zircon sand in aerospace field is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

I. Aeroengine components

Zirconium sand and its processed products have important applications in aero-engines. Its high purity and high fire resistance make it an ideal material for manufacturing high-temperature parts. For example:

Engine nozzle and combustion chamber: Zirconium alloy (refined from zircon sand) is often used to manufacture core components such as nozzle and combustion chamber of rocket engine, which need to work in extreme high temperature and high pressure environment. The high strength and high temperature resistance of zirconium alloy can meet these requirements.

Turbine blades: Zirconium alloy is widely used to manufacture turbine blades of aero-engines because of its excellent high-temperature creep resistance and oxidation resistance.

II. High-temperature refractories

The high melting point (above 2700℃) and good chemical stability of zircon sand make it an important raw material for manufacturing high temperature refractories. In the aerospace field, these refractories can be used for:

High-temperature furnace lining: used to protect the high-temperature furnace body and ensure its normal operation at extreme temperatures.

Thermal insulation material: used as the thermal insulation layer of spacecraft to protect the internal structure from high temperature damage.

III. Precision casting

Zirconium sand is widely used in precision casting, especially in manufacturing aerospace parts;

Molding sand and core sand: The high purity and fire resistance of zircon sand make it an ideal molding sand material, which can ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of castings.

Casting coating: used to make casting coating to prevent direct contact between molten metal and molding sand and reduce surface defects of castings.

IV. Ceramic materials

Zirconium sand can be used to make high-performance ceramic materials, which have many uses in the aerospace field:

Aviation instruments and sensors: Ceramic materials processed from zircon sand can be used to manufacture aviation instruments, thermocouples and other equipment, which need to work in high temperature and high precision environment.

High-temperature lighting: used to manufacture high-temperature lighting equipment to meet the requirements of high brightness and high stability in the aerospace field.

V. Other applications

Sand swallowing experiment: in the sand swallowing experiment of aero-engine, zircon sand can be used to simulate the influence of harsh environment such as desert on the engine and test the wear resistance of the engine.

Separation and Enrichment Technology: Hafnium (Hf) rich in zircon sand is an important rare metal with unique physical and chemical characteristics, which can be used in electronic semiconductors and other fields in aerospace.

To sum up, zircon sand plays an irreplaceable role in the aerospace field because of its high purity, high fire resistance and excellent physical and chemical properties, and is widely used in many key fields such as engine parts, high temperature refractories, precision casting and high performance ceramics.