Zircon, the source of all zirconium used commercially, is a silicate mineral found as a minor component of heavy mineral sands, which also contain the source minerals for titanium. The two elements are therefore co-products of the same mining operations. Most zircon is never converted to the pure element, and is instead converted to zirconium dioxide, which is the starting material for most other zirconium products. Zirconium metal is produced via the Kroll process, which requires converting zircon to zirconium tetrachloride, which is then reduced to the metal using magnesium. Zircon is also used directly as an opacifier in decorative ceramics, and large crystals of sufficient quality are cut for use as gemstones.

Zirconium is also a component several other important ceramic materials. Zirconium carbide and zirconium nitride are extremely hard ceramics generally used as refractory materials or cutting tools. Additionally, zirconium is a component of some electroceramics, the most well known example being lead zirconate titanate, a material used frequently in ceramic capacitors, sensors, and actuators. This compound is essential for the production of ferroelectric RAM, a form of non-volatile random access memory being actively researched by several electronics manufacturers.

The vast majority of zirconium used commercially is found as some form of zirconium dioxide, also known as zirconia. Zirconia can exhibit three different crystal structures depending on temperature. Unstabilized zirconia may crack when heated or cooled due to transitions between these phases, but stabilized cubic zirconia, produced via addition of other metal oxides, is generally extremely stable across wide temperature ranges. Common forms of stabilized zirconia include magnesia stabilized zirconia, yttria stabilized zirconia, calcia stabilized zirconia, and cerium stabilized zirconia. Stabilized zirconia is frequently used as a refractory ceramic material, in the form of lab crucibles, metal furnaces, thermal barrier coatings, and as a surface coating for foundry molds. It is useful for joining ceramic and metal surfaces, as it has similar thermal expansion properties to steel. Zirconia is also biocompatible, and is frequently used as as material for medical implants, either alone, as a coating for metal implants, or in composite metal-ceramic devices. Yttria stabilized zirconia is useful as an electroceramic, found in sensors for detecting conditions such as pH and oxygen levels, and when doped with rare earths can be used for phosphor thermometry. Zirconia is also notable for its ability to conduct ions, which lends it to use as a solid electrolyte in fuel cells.

In metallic form, zirconium is used as an alloying agent. Its primary advantage is high resistance to corrosion, which lends it to use in specialty alloys designed for use in highly corrosive environments. Additionally, zirconium is biocompatible, lending it to use in alloys for biomedical implants, and has a low absorption cross section for thermal neutrons, which dictates its use in nuclear fuel cladding.

The role of vanadium in advanced and emerging technologies is increasing due to the unique properties of its compounds. In particular, vanadium redox (or flow) batteries have gained attention in recent years as viable alternatives to the dominant lithium-ion technology currently in use. These rechargeable batteries store energy via continuously recyclable aqueous solutions of vanadium redox couples in both electrodes, eliminating the risk of cross-contamination of the electrolyte and yielding a low cost, high-efficiency energy source that has been investigated for potential use in hybrid and electric vehicles. Two-dimensional nanosheets of vanadium pentoxide have demonstrated favorable properties that could lead to their use as electrodes in supercapacitors.Vanadium dioxide has also gained attention for its unique properties. It is one of the few known materials that undergoes a metal-insulator transition: acting as an insulator at low temperatures, the material rearranges its electrons in an abrupt shift (taking only 10-trillionth of a second) to act like a conductor at 67 degrees Celsius. At 65 degrees, it enters a solid-state triple point--the first material in which researchers have ever accurately pinpointed. Some experiments into the uses of vanadium dioxide include the work of researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, who used vanadium dioxide to fabricate a micro-sized artificial muscle-motor that exhibited extremely high power density and resilience. Thin ribbons of vanadium dioxide alternating with graphene have shown to be a highly efficient cathode material for lithium-ion batteries that could significantly increase power and energy density, and it has also been investigated as a metamaterial.

A few other zirconium compounds have niche applications as chemical agents. Ammonium zirconium carbonate and potassium zirconium carbonate are used in paper coatings used for the production of high-quality prints. Other zirconium compounds find use as crosslinkers in polymers or in inks to promote adhesion to metals and plastics. Additionally, zirconium hydrides are used as hydrogenation catalysts, reducing agents, foaming agents, and to help produce seals between metals and ceramics.

In metallic form, zirconium is used as an alloying agent. Its primary advantage is high resistance to corrosion, which lends it to use in specialty alloys designed for use in highly corrosive environments. Additionally, zirconium is biocompatible, lending it to use in alloys for biomedical implants, and has a low absorption cross section for thermal neutrons, which dictates its use in nuclear fuel cladding.