Isotopes of zirconium

{{Short description|none}} {{Infobox zirconium isotopes}} Naturally occurring zirconium (₄₀Zr) is composed of four stable isotopes (one, ⁹⁴Zr, may in the future be found radioactive), and one very long-lived radioisotope (⁹⁶Zr), a primordial nuclide that decays via double beta decay with an observed half-life of 2.34 × 10¹⁹ years;<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Adopted Double Beta (ββ) Decay Values |publisher=National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory |url=http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/bbdecay/list.html |access-date=2007-09-22 |archive-date=2008-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081012211202/http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/bbdecay/list.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> it can also undergo single beta decay, with a partial half-life of [2.27{{su|p=+0.53|b=−0.36}} (stat) ± 0.27 (syst)] × 10²⁰ years.<ref name=Barabash>{{cite arXiv |first1=A. S. |last1=Barabash |first2=S. |last2=Evseev |first3=D. |last3=Filosofov |first4=Yu. M. |last4=Gavrilyuk |first5=A. M. |last5=Gangapshev |first6=N. |last6=Gorshkov |first7=V. V. |last7=Kazalov |first8=S. |last8=Kazartsev |first9=T. |last9=Khussainov |first10=V. V. |last10=Kuzminov |first11=A. |last11=Lubashevskiy |first12=D. V. |last12=Ponomarev |first13=S. |last13=Rozov |first14=N. |last14=Temerbulatova |first15=S. |last15=Vasilyev |first16=E. A. |last16=Yakushev |first17=V. I. |last17=Yumatov |date=19 May 2026 |title=First observation of single beta decay of ⁹⁶Zr |arxiv=2605.18344 |class=nucl-ex}}</ref> The second most stable radioisotope is ⁹³Zr, which has a half-life of 1.61 million years. Thirty other radioisotopes have been observed from ⁷⁷Zr to ¹¹⁴Zr; all have half-lives less than a day except for ⁹⁵Zr (64.032 days), ⁸⁸Zr (83.4 days), and ⁸⁹Zr (78.36 hours). The most stable of the isomeric states is just 4.16 minutes for ^89mZr.

Radioactive isotopes above the theoretically stable mass numbers 90–92 decay by electron emission resulting in niobium isotopes, whereas those below by positron emission or electron capture, resulting in yttrium isotopes.

== List of isotopes == {{Anchor}}

<!--Please delete anchor(s) from the list above or table below if adding a dedicated isotope section(s).-->

{{Isotopes table |symbol=Zr |refs=NUBASE2020, AME2020 II,<!-- updated 2024-12-29 --> IsotopeFRIB, IsomerFRIB |notes=m, unc(), mass#, hl#, hl-nst, spin(), spin#, daughter-st, discoveryname }} |-id=Zirconium-77 | ⁷⁷Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 37 | 76.96608(43)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/77.pdf 2017] | 100#&nbsp;μs | | | 3/2−# | | |-id=Zirconium-78 | ⁷⁸Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 38 | 77.95615(43)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/78.pdf 2001] | 50#&nbsp;ms<br/>[>200&nbsp;ns] | | | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-79 | ⁷⁹Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 39 | 78.94979(32)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/79.pdf 1999] | 56(30)&nbsp;ms | β⁺ | ⁷⁹Y | 5/2+# | | |-id=Zirconium-80 | ⁸⁰Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 40 | 79.940818(86)<ref name="hamaker2021">{{cite journal |last1=Hamaker |first1=A. |last2=Leistenschneider |first2=E. |last3=Jain |first3=R. |last4=Bollen |first4=G. |last5=Giuliani |first5=S. A. |last6=Lund |first6=K. |last7=Nazarewicz |first7=W. |last8=Neufcourt |first8=L. |last9=Nicoloff |first9=C. R. |last10=Puentes |first10=D. |last11=Ringle |first11=R. |last12=Sumithrarachchi |first12=C. S. |last13=Yandow |first13=I. T. |title=Precision mass measurement of lightweight self-conjugate nucleus 80Zr |journal=Nature Physics |date=December 2021 |volume=17 |issue=12 |pages=1408–1412 |doi=10.1038/s41567-021-01395-w |osti=1870105 }}</ref> | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/80.pdf 1987] | 4.6(6)&nbsp;s | β⁺ | ⁸⁰Y | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-81 | rowspan=2|⁸¹Zr | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 41 | rowspan=2|80.938211(11)<ref name="hamaker2021"/> | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/81.pdf 1997] | rowspan=2|5.5(4)&nbsp;s | β⁺ (99.88%) | ⁸¹Y | rowspan=2|(3/2−) | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁺, p (0.12%) | ⁸⁰Sr |-id=Zirconium-82 | ⁸²Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 42 | 81.9317075(17) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/82.pdf 1982] | 32(5)&nbsp;s | β⁺ | ⁸²Y | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-83 | rowspan=2|⁸³Zr | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 43 | rowspan=2|82.92923591(70)<ref name="hamaker2021"/> | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/83.pdf 1974] | rowspan=2|42(2)&nbsp;s | β⁺ | ⁸³Y | rowspan=2|1/2−# | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁺, p (?%) | ⁸²Sr |-id=Zirconium-83m1 | style="text-indent:1em" | ^83m1Zr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 52.72(5)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/83Zr-2.pdf 1988] | 0.53(12)&nbsp;μs | IT | ⁸³Zr | (5/2−) | | |-id=Zirconium-83m2 | style="text-indent:1em" | ^83m2Zr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 77.04(7)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/83Zr-1.pdf 1988] | 1.8(1)&nbsp;μs | IT | ⁸³Zr | (7/2+) | | |-id=Zirconium-84 | ⁸⁴Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 44 | 83.9233257(59) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/84.pdf 1977] | 25.8(5)&nbsp;min | β⁺ | ⁸⁴Y | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-85 | ⁸⁵Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 45 | 84.9214432(69) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/85.pdf 1963] | 7.86(4)&nbsp;min | β⁺ | ⁸⁵Y | (7/2+) | | |-id=Zirconium-85m | rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | ^85mZr | rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 292.2(3)&nbsp;keV | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/85Zr-1.pdf 1976] | rowspan=2|10.9(3)&nbsp;s | IT (?%) | ⁸⁵Zr | rowspan=2|1/2−# | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁺ (?%) | ⁸⁵Y |-id=Zirconium-86 | ⁸⁶Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 46 | 85.9162968(38) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/86.pdf 1951] | 16.5(1)&nbsp;h | β⁺ | ⁸⁶Y | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-87 | ⁸⁷Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 47 | 86.9148173(45) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/87.pdf 1949] | 1.68(1)&nbsp;h | β⁺ | ⁸⁷Y | 9/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-87m | style="text-indent:1em" | ^87mZr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 335.84(19)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/87Zr-1.pdf 1972] | 14.0(2)&nbsp;s | IT | ⁸⁷Zr | 1/2− | | |- | ⁸⁸Zr<ref group="n">Second most powerful known neutron absorber</ref> | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 48 | 87.9102207(58) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/88.pdf 1951] | 83.4(3)&nbsp;d | EC | ⁸⁸Y | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-88m | style="text-indent:1em" | ^88mZr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 2887.79(6)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/88Zr-1.pdf 1971] | 1.320(25)&nbsp;μs | IT | ⁸⁸Zr | 8+ | | |- | ⁸⁹Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 49 | 88.9088798(30) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/89.pdf 1938] | 78.360(23)&nbsp;h | β⁺ | '''⁸⁹Y''' | 9/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-89m | rowspan=2 style="text-indent:1em" | ^89mZr | rowspan=2 colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 587.82(10)&nbsp;keV | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/89Zr-1.pdf 1940] | rowspan=2|4.161(10)&nbsp;min | IT (93.77%) | ⁸⁹Zr | rowspan=2|1/2− | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁺ (6.23%) | '''⁸⁹Y''' |-id=Zirconium-90 | ⁹⁰Zr<ref group="n" name="FP">Fission product</ref> | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 50 | 89.90469876(13) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/90.pdf 1924] | colspan=3 align=center|'''Stable''' | 0+ | 0.5145(4) | |-id=Zirconium-90m1 | style="text-indent:1em" | ^90m1Zr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 2319.000(9)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/90Zr-2.pdf 1963] | 809.2(20)&nbsp;ms | IT | '''⁹⁰Zr''' | 5- | | |-id=Zirconium-90m2 | style="text-indent:1em" | ^90m2Zr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 3589.418(15)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/90Zr-1.pdf 1959] | 131(4)&nbsp;ns | IT | '''⁹⁰Zr''' | 8+ | | |-id=Zirconium-91 | ⁹¹Zr<ref group="n" name="FP" /> | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 51 | 90.90564021(10) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/91.pdf 1934] | colspan=3 align=center|'''Stable''' | 5/2+ | 0.1122(5) | |-id=Zirconium-91m | style="text-indent:1em" | ^91mZr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 3167.3(4)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/91Zr-1.pdf 1975] | 4.35(14)&nbsp;μs | IT | '''⁹¹Zr''' | (21/2+) | | |-id=Zirconium-92 | ⁹²Zr<ref group="n" name="FP" /> | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 52 | 91.90503534(10) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/92.pdf 1924] | colspan=3 align=center|'''Stable''' | 0+ | 0.1715(3) | |- | rowspan=2 | ⁹³Zr<ref group="n">Long-lived fission product</ref> | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 53 | rowspan=2 | 92.90647066(49) | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/93.pdf 1950] | rowspan=2 | 1.61(5)×10⁶&nbsp;y | β⁻ (73%)<ref name="Zr93"/> | ^93m1Nb | rowspan=2 | 5/2+ | rowspan=2 | | rowspan=2 | |- | β⁻ (27%)<ref name="Zr93"/> | '''⁹³Nb''' |-id=Zirconium-94 | ⁹⁴Zr<ref group="n" name="FP" /> | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 54 | 93.90631252(18) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/94.pdf 1924] | colspan=3 align=center|'''Observationally stable'''<ref group="n">Believed to decay by β⁻β⁻ to '''⁹⁴Mo''' with a half-life over 1.1×10¹⁷ years</ref> | 0+ | 0.1738(4) | |-id=Zirconium-95 | ⁹⁵Zr<ref group="n" name="FP" /> | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 55 | 94.90804028(93) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/95.pdf 1946] | 64.032(6)&nbsp;d | β⁻ | ⁹⁵Nb | 5/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-96 | rowspan=2 | ⁹⁶Zr<ref group="n" name="FP" /><ref group="n">Primordial radionuclide</ref> | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 56 | rowspan=2 | 95.90827762(12) | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/96.pdf 1934] | rowspan=2 |'''2.34(17)×10¹⁹&nbsp;y''' | β⁻β⁻ | '''⁹⁶Mo''' | rowspan=2 |0+ | rowspan=2 |0.0280(2) | rowspan=2 | |- | β⁻ | ⁹⁶Nb |-id=Zirconium-97 | ⁹⁷Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 57 | 96.91096380(13) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/97.pdf 1951] | 16.749(8)&nbsp;h | β⁻ | ^97mNb | 1/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-97m | style="text-indent:1em" | ^97mZr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 1264.35(16)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/97Zr-1.pdf 1985] | 104.8(17)&nbsp;ns | IT | ⁹⁷Zr | 7/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-98 | ⁹⁸Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 58 | 97.9127404(91) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/98.pdf 1967] | 30.7(4)&nbsp;s | β⁻ | ⁹⁸Nb | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-98m | style="text-indent:1em" | ^98mZr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 6601.9(11)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/98Zr-1.pdf 2006] | 1.9(2)&nbsp;μs | IT | ⁹⁸Zr | (17−) | | |-id=Zirconium-99 | ⁹⁹Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 59 | 98.916675(11) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/99.pdf 1970] | 2.1(1)&nbsp;s | β⁻ | ^99mNb | 1/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-99m | style="text-indent:1em" | ^99mZr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 251.96(9)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/99Zr-1.pdf 1970] | 336(5)&nbsp;ns | IT | ⁹⁹Zr | 7/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-100 | ¹⁰⁰Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 60 | 99.9180105(87) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/100.pdf 1970] | 7.1(4)&nbsp;s | β⁻ | ¹⁰⁰Nb | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-101 | ¹⁰¹Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 61 | 100.9214585(89) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/101.pdf 1970] | 2.29(8)&nbsp;s | β⁻ | ¹⁰¹Nb | 3/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-102 | ¹⁰²Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 62 | 101.9231542(94) | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/102.pdf 1970] | 2.01(8)&nbsp;s | β⁻ | ¹⁰²Nb | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-103 | rowspan=2|¹⁰³Zr | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 63 | rowspan=2|102.9272041(99) | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/103.pdf 1987] | rowspan=2|1.38(7)&nbsp;s | β⁻ (>99%) | ¹⁰³Nb | rowspan=2|(5/2−) | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁻, n (<1%) | ¹⁰²Nb |-id=Zirconium-104 | rowspan=2|¹⁰⁴Zr | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 64 | rowspan=2|103.929449(10) | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/104.pdf 1990] | rowspan=2|920(28)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ (>99%) | ¹⁰⁴Nb | rowspan=2|0+ | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁻, n (<1%) | ¹⁰³Nb |-id=Zirconium-105 | rowspan=2|¹⁰⁵Zr | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 65 | rowspan=2|104.934022(13) | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/105.pdf 1992] | rowspan=2|670(28)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ (>98%) | ¹⁰⁵Nb | rowspan=2|1/2+# | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁻, n (<2%) | ¹⁰⁴Nb |-id=Zirconium-106 | rowspan=2|¹⁰⁶Zr | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 66 | rowspan=2|105.93693(22)# | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/106.pdf 1994] | rowspan=2|179(6)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ (>98%) | ¹⁰⁶Nb | rowspan=2|0+ | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁻, n (<2%) | ¹⁰⁵Nb |-id=Zirconium-107 | rowspan=2|¹⁰⁷Zr | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 40 | rowspan=2 style="text-align:right" | 67 | rowspan=2|106.94201(32)# | rowspan=2 style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/107.pdf 1994] | rowspan=2|145.7(24)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ (>77%) | ¹⁰⁷Nb | rowspan=2|5/2+# | rowspan=2| | rowspan=2| |- | β⁻, n (<23%) | ¹⁰⁶Nb |-id=Zirconium-108 | ¹⁰⁸Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 68 | 107.94530(43)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/108.pdf 1997] | 78.5(20)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ | ¹⁰⁸Nb | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-108m | style="text-indent:1em" | ^108mZr | colspan="3" style="text-indent:2em" | 2074.5(8)&nbsp;keV | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/isomers/abstracts/40/108Zr-1.pdf 2011] | 540(30)&nbsp;ns | IT | ¹⁰⁸Zr | (6+) | | |-id=Zirconium-109 | ¹⁰⁹Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 69 | 108.95091(54)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/109.pdf 1997] | 56(3)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ | ¹⁰⁹Nb | 5/2+# | | |-id=Zirconium-110 | ¹¹⁰Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 70 | 109.95468(54)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/110.pdf 1997] | 37.5(20)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ | ¹¹⁰Nb | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-111 | ¹¹¹Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 71 | 110.96084(64)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/111.pdf 2010] | 24.0(5)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ | ¹¹¹Nb | 5/2+# | | |-id=Zirconium-112 | ¹¹²Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 72 | 111.96520(75)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/112.pdf 2010] | 43(21)&nbsp;ms | β⁻ | ¹¹²Nb | 0+ | | |-id=Zirconium-113 | ¹¹³Zr | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 73 | 112.97172(32)# | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/113.pdf 2018] | 15#&nbsp;ms<br />[>550&nbsp;ns] | | | 3/2+ | | |-id=Zirconium-114 | ¹¹⁴Zr<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://journals.aps.org/prc/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevC.103.014614|doi = 10.1103/PhysRevC.103.014614|title = Observation of new neutron-rich isotopes in the vicinity of Zr110|year = 2021|last1 = Sumikama|first1 = T.|last2 = Fukuda|first2 = N.|last3 = Inabe|first3 = N.|last4 = Kameda|first4 = D.|last5 = Kubo|first5 = T.|last6 = Shimizu|first6 = Y.|last7 = Suzuki|first7 = H.|last8 = Takeda|first8 = H.|last9 = Yoshida|first9 = K.|last10 = Baba|first10 = H.|last11 = Browne|first11 = F.|last12 = Bruce|first12 = A. M.|last13 = Carroll|first13 = R.|last14 = Chiga|first14 = N.|last15 = Daido|first15 = R.|last16 = Didierjean|first16 = F.|last17 = Doornenbal|first17 = P.|last18 = Fang|first18 = Y.|last19 = Gey|first19 = G.|last20 = Ideguchi|first20 = E.|last21 = Isobe|first21 = T.|last22 = Lalkovski|first22 = S.|last23 = Li|first23 = Z.|last24 = Lorusso|first24 = G.|last25 = Lozeva|first25 = R.|last26 = Nishibata|first26 = H.|last27 = Nishimura|first27 = S.|last28 = Nishizuka|first28 = I.|last29 = Odahara|first29 = A.|last30 = Patel|first30 = Z.|journal = Physical Review C|volume = 103| issue=1 | article-number=014614 | bibcode=2021PhRvC.103a4614S |s2cid = 234019083|display-authors = 1|hdl = 10261/260248|hdl-access = free}}</ref> | style="text-align:right" | 40 | style="text-align:right" | 74 | | style="text-align:center" | [https://www.nndc.bnl.gov/discovery/abstracts/40/114.pdf 2021] | | | | 0+ | | {{Isotopes table/footer}}

==Zirconium-88== ⁸⁸Zr is a radioisotope of zirconium with a half-life of 83.4 days. In January 2019, this isotope was discovered to have a thermal neutron capture cross section of approximately 861,000 barns; this is several orders of magnitude greater than predicted, and greater than that of any other nuclide except xenon-135.<ref name="Zr88">{{cite journal |last1=Shusterman |first1=J.A. |last2=Scielzo |first2=N.D. |last3=Thomas |first3=K.J. |last4=Norman |first4=E.B. |last5=Lapi |first5=S.E. |last6=Loveless |first6=C.S. |last7=Peters |first7=N.J. |last8=Robertson |first8=J.D. |last9=Shaughnessy |first9=D.A. |last10=Tonchev |first10=A.P. |title=The surprisingly large neutron capture cross-section of ⁸⁸Zr |journal=Nature |date=2019 |volume=565 |issue=7739 |pages=328–330 |doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0838-z |pmid=30617314 |bibcode=2019Natur.565..328S |osti=1512575 |s2cid=57574387 |url=https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1512575 |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Zirconium-89== ⁸⁹Zr is a radioisotope of zirconium with a half-life of 78.36 hours, produced by proton irradiation of natural yttrium (⁸⁹Y). Its most prominent gamma photon (99% of decays) has an energy of 909&nbsp;keV and it emits a positron (as opposed to electron capture) about 23% of decays.<ref>{{NNDC}}</ref> Zirconium-89 is employed in specialized diagnostic applications using positron emission tomography<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Dilworth |first1=Jonathan R. |last2=Pascu |first2=Sofia I. |title=The chemistry of PET imaging with zirconium-89 |journal=Chemical Society Reviews |date=2018 |volume=47 |issue=8 |pages=2554–2571 |doi=10.1039/C7CS00014F|pmid=29557435 }}</ref> imaging, for example, with zirconium-89 labeled antibodies (immuno-PET).<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Van Dongen |first1=GA |last2=Vosjan |first2=MJ |title=Immuno-positron emission tomography: shedding light on clinical antibody therapy |journal= Cancer Biotherapy and Radiopharmaceuticals |date=August 2010 |volume=25 |issue=4 |pages=375–85|doi=10.1089/cbr.2010.0812 |pmid=20707716 }}</ref>

==Zirconium-93== {{Chain yield | 6.70 ± 0.40| 5.58 ± 0.16 | 6.979 ± 0.098| 6.94 ± 0.07| 5.38 ± 0.32 | 6.346 ± 0.044| 6.25 ± 0.04| 5.19 ± 0.31 | 4.913 ± 0.098| 4.53 ± 0.13 | 3.80 ± 0.03 | 3.82 ± 0.03| 3.0 ± 0.3 | 2.98 ± 0.04 | 2.98 ± 0.33| ? |data_ref=<ref>M. B. Chadwick et al, "ENDF/B-VII.1: Nuclear Data for Science and Technology: Cross Sections, Covariances, Fission Product Yields and Decay Data", Nucl. Data Sheets 112(2011)2887. (accessed at www-nds.iaea.org/exfor/endf.htm)</ref>}}{{Long-lived fission products}}<div style="float:right; margin-left:1em"></div>

'''⁹³Zr''' is a radioisotope of zirconium with a half-life of 1.61 million years, decaying through emission of a low-energy beta particle. 73% of decays populate an excited state of niobium-93, which decays with a half-life of 13.9 years (almost entirely by internal conversion, emitting no gamma ray) to the stable ground state of ⁹³Nb, while the remaining 27% of decays directly populate the ground state.<ref name="Zr93">{{cite journal |last1=Cassette |first1=P. |last2=Chartier |first2=F. |last3=Isnard |first3=H. |last4=Fréchou |first4=C. |last5=Laszak |first5=I. |last6=Degros |first6=J.P. |last7=Bé |first7=M.M. |last8=Lépy |first8=M.C. |last9=Tartes |first9=I. |title=Determination of ⁹³Zr decay scheme and half-life |date=2010 |journal=Applied Radiation and Isotopes |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=122–130 |doi=10.1016/j.apradiso.2009.08.011 |pmid=19734052 |bibcode=2010AppRI..68..122C |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26793104}}</ref> It is one of the 7 long-lived fission products. The low specific activity and low energy of its radiation limit the radioactive hazards of this isotope, and its insolubility makes it unlikely to escape a waste repository; all these are shared with palladium-107.

Nuclear fission produces it at a fission yield of 6.3% (thermal neutron fission of ²³⁵U), one of the most abundant fission products. Nuclear reactors usually contain large amounts of zirconium as fuel rod cladding (see zircalloy), and neutron irradiation of ⁹²Zr also produces some ⁹³Zr, though this is limited by ⁹²Zr's low neutron capture cross section of 0.22 barns. Indeed, one of the primary reasons for using zirconium in fuel rod cladding is its low cross section.

⁹³Zr also has a low neutron capture cross section of 0.7 barns.<ref>{{cite web |date=2011-12-22 |url=http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/exfor/endf00.jsp |title=ENDF/B-VII.1 Zr-93(n,g) |publisher=National Nuclear Data Center, Brookhaven National Laboratory |access-date=2014-11-20 |archive-date=2009-07-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720032108/http://www.nndc.bnl.gov/exfor/endf00.jsp }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |author=S. Nakamura |display-authors=etal |title=Thermal neutron capture cross-sections of Zirconium-91 and Zirconium-93 by prompt gamma-ray spectroscopy |journal=Journal of Nuclear Science and Technology |volume=44 |issue=1 |pages=21–28| year=2007 |doi=10.1080/18811248.2007.9711252|bibcode=2007JNST...44...21N |s2cid=96087661 }}</ref> Most fission zirconium consists of other isotopes; the other isotope with a significant neutron absorption cross section is ⁹¹Zr with a cross section of 1.24 barns. ⁹³Zr is a less attractive candidate for disposal by nuclear transmutation than are ⁹⁹Tc and ¹²⁹I. The isotope could be recycled: if the effect on the neutron economy of {{chem|93|Zr}}'s higher cross section is deemed acceptable, irradiated cladding and fission product zirconium (which are mixed together in most current nuclear reprocessing methods) could be used to form new zircalloy cladding. Once the cladding is inside the reactor, the relatively low level radioactivity can be tolerated, but transport and manufacturing might require precautions not now taken. {{Clear}}

== See also == '''Daughter products other than zirconium''' * Isotopes of molybdenum * Isotopes of niobium * Isotopes of yttrium * Isotopes of strontium

== References == {{Reflist}}

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Category:Isotopes of zirconium Zirconium