Silicon Zirconium

Silicon Zirconium is a powerful deoxidizer, denitrification agent and alloy additive for steelmaking and casting. It is used in high-temperature alloy steel, low-alloy high-strength steel, ultra-high-strength steel and cast iron. 
Zirconium is a highly reactive element and forms stable compounds with oxygen, nitrogen, sulphur and carbon. It can be used as a de-oxidant, to modify non-metallic inclusions and to fix uncombined nitrogen particularly in boron steels.
Zirconium can refine the austenite grains of steel; it can be sulfided to synthesize zirconium sulfide to prevent the hot brittleness of steel; zirconium can also reduce the strain aging phenomenon of steel and improve the low-temperature toughness of steel. The role of zirconium in cast iron is similar to that of titanium. It can form zirconium carbide with the carbon in the molten iron and promote the formation of graphite during cooling.