{
  "spore": "profile",
  "id": "zirconium-nitride",
  "spore_version": "0.2",
  "family": "carbide-nitride-boride-ceramics",
  "name": "Zirconium nitride",
  "abbreviation": "ZrN",
  "role": "hard, yellow nitride ceramic used as a protective and diffusion-barrier coating",
  "category": "ceramics",
  "type": "nitrides",
  "summary": "Zirconium nitride is a yellow, hard rock-salt ceramic. WebElements lists a density of 7090 kg m-3 (7.09 g/cm3) and a melting point of 2960 degC. First-principles calculations by Krasnenko and Brik (arXiv, 2013) give a bulk modulus of 268.16 GPa with the LDA method and 226.14 GPa with GGA for the rock-salt phase, and an experimental lattice constant of 4.575 Angstrom. Magnetron-sputtered ZrN films on 316L stainless steel reached nanohardness values of 26.3 to 39.3 GPa as the substrate bias rose from 0 V to -100 V (Journal of Electrical Engineering, 2019). In Hank's solution the -100 V film corroded at 0.0026 mpy, against 0.0244 mpy for uncoated steel in the same test, while the 0 V film corroded faster than uncoated steel at 0.0451 mpy.\n",
  "best_for": "Hard protective coatings on steel for wear and corrosion tests, where a high melting point and a hard surface both matter",
  "weakest_at": "Oxidation in air. No readable source in this run gives an oxidation onset temperature for ZrN, so the limit in hot air is unverified",
  "identity": {
    "formula": "ZrN",
    "cas": "25658-42-8",
    "crystal_system": "cubic",
    "space_group": "Fm-3m",
    "designations": [],
    "source": "krasnenko-arxiv-2013",
    "where": "Text on the neat carbides and nitrides (ZrN included, all crystallize in the Fm-3m space group), and Table 1, ZrN row; CAS from the PubChem record for CID 94359"
  },
  "tags": {
    "environments": [],
    "stresses": [],
    "applications": [
      "mechanisms",
      "electronics-and-chips"
    ]
  },
  "properties": [
    {
      "benchmark": "density",
      "label": "Density of ZrN",
      "value": 7090,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "kg m-3",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "single figure given for the compound; no temperature stated"
      },
      "method": "Database entry for the compound; the page gives no measurement method",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "webelements-zrn",
      "where": "Properties table, Density row (printed as 7090 kg m-3)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "WebElements, Zirconium nitride (compound properties table)",
        "id": "WebElements, Sheffield",
        "url": "https://winter.group.shef.ac.uk/webelements/compounds/zirconium/zirconium_nitride.html",
        "year": 2026,
        "kind": "database",
        "license": "not stated on the page read"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "melting_point",
      "label": "Melting point of ZrN",
      "value": 2960,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "degC",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "single figure given for the compound; no atmosphere or pressure stated"
      },
      "method": "Database entry for the compound; the page gives no measurement method",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "webelements-zrn",
      "where": "Properties table, Melting point row (printed as 2960°C)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "WebElements, Zirconium nitride (compound properties table)",
        "id": "WebElements, Sheffield",
        "url": "https://winter.group.shef.ac.uk/webelements/compounds/zirconium/zirconium_nitride.html",
        "year": 2026,
        "kind": "database",
        "license": "not stated on the page read"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "lattice_constant",
      "label": "Lattice constant, rock-salt ZrN (experimental value quoted)",
      "value": 4.575,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "Å",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "experimental value listed in the Exp. column, from the reference the paper calls e"
      },
      "method": "Experimental value quoted in the paper's comparison column",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "krasnenko-arxiv-2013",
      "where": "Table 1, ZrN row, Exp. column",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x (M=Ti, Zr, Hf) carbonitrides at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure (Krasnenko and Brik)",
        "id": "arXiv:1306.3139",
        "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
        "year": 2013,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (author license as listed on arXiv)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "bulk_modulus",
      "label": "Bulk modulus, ZrN (calculated, LDA)",
      "value": 268.16,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "GPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "rock-salt ZrN, first-principles LDA result from this work"
      },
      "method": "First-principles calculation (LDA) in an arXiv preprint; a calculated value, not a measurement",
      "status": "calculated",
      "source": "krasnenko-arxiv-2013",
      "where": "Table 2, ZrN row, LDA column (calculated, this work)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x (M=Ti, Zr, Hf) carbonitrides at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure (Krasnenko and Brik)",
        "id": "arXiv:1306.3139",
        "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
        "year": 2013,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (author license as listed on arXiv)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "bulk_modulus",
      "label": "Bulk modulus, ZrN (calculated, GGA)",
      "value": 226.14,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "GPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "rock-salt ZrN, first-principles GGA result from this work"
      },
      "method": "First-principles calculation (GGA) in an arXiv preprint; a calculated value, not a measurement",
      "status": "calculated",
      "source": "krasnenko-arxiv-2013",
      "where": "Table 2, ZrN row, GGA column (calculated, this work)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x (M=Ti, Zr, Hf) carbonitrides at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure (Krasnenko and Brik)",
        "id": "arXiv:1306.3139",
        "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
        "year": 2013,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (author license as listed on arXiv)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "elastic_constant_c11",
      "label": "Elastic constant C11, ZrN (calculated, LDA)",
      "value": 605.99,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "GPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "rock-salt ZrN, first-principles LDA result from this work"
      },
      "method": "First-principles calculation (LDA) in an arXiv preprint; a calculated value, not a measurement",
      "status": "calculated",
      "source": "krasnenko-arxiv-2013",
      "where": "Table 3, ZrN row, LDA C11 column",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x (M=Ti, Zr, Hf) carbonitrides at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure (Krasnenko and Brik)",
        "id": "arXiv:1306.3139",
        "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
        "year": 2013,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (author license as listed on arXiv)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "elastic_constant_c12",
      "label": "Elastic constant C12, ZrN (calculated, LDA)",
      "value": 99.25,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "GPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "rock-salt ZrN, first-principles LDA result from this work"
      },
      "method": "First-principles calculation (LDA) in an arXiv preprint; a calculated value, not a measurement",
      "status": "calculated",
      "source": "krasnenko-arxiv-2013",
      "where": "Table 3, ZrN row, LDA C12 column",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x (M=Ti, Zr, Hf) carbonitrides at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure (Krasnenko and Brik)",
        "id": "arXiv:1306.3139",
        "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
        "year": 2013,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (author license as listed on arXiv)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "elastic_constant_c44",
      "label": "Elastic constant C44, ZrN (calculated, LDA)",
      "value": 128.06,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "GPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "basis": "rock-salt ZrN, first-principles LDA result from this work"
      },
      "method": "First-principles calculation (LDA) in an arXiv preprint; a calculated value, not a measurement",
      "status": "calculated",
      "source": "krasnenko-arxiv-2013",
      "where": "Table 3, ZrN row, LDA C44 column",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x (M=Ti, Zr, Hf) carbonitrides at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure (Krasnenko and Brik)",
        "id": "arXiv:1306.3139",
        "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
        "year": 2013,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "arXiv preprint (author license as listed on arXiv)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "hardness",
      "label": "Nanohardness of sputtered ZrN films on 316L, bias 0 V to -100 V",
      "value": 26.3,
      "value_high": 39.3,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "GPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "form": "ZrN film, RF magnetron sputtered from a 99.99 % zirconium target onto 316L stainless steel, 1.43 to 2.0 um thick (Table 2)",
        "substrate_bias": "0 V (26.3 GPa) to -100 V (39.3 GPa)",
        "method_of_measurement": "nanoindentation with a Berkovich diamond tip, average of ten measurements, depth about 10 % of film thickness"
      },
      "method": "Nanoindentation of the sputtered film, loading and unloading curves",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "jee-2019-zrn",
      "where": "Section 3 text on nanohardness (26.3 to 39.3 GPa as bias increases); Table 2 (thickness)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (Journal of Electrical Engineering 70, no. 7S, 2019, pp. 112-116)",
        "id": "doi:10.2478/jee-2019-0051",
        "url": "https://reference-global.com/download/article/10.2478/jee-2019-0051.pdf",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "not stated on the copy read"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "hardness",
      "label": "Hardness of magnetron-sputtered ZrN coating, text range",
      "value": 23,
      "value_high": 30,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "GPa",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "form": "magnetron-sputtered ZrN coating on stainless steel, 2 to 3 um thick series",
        "method_of_measurement": "nanoindentation at 10 mN and 20 mN"
      },
      "method": "Nanoindentation; the paper states the range in its discussion and does not give a separate value per load",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "ul-hamid-jar-2020",
      "where": "Nanoindentation discussion (Fig. 9a text) and Conclusions; text reads ZrN showed the highest values of hardness (23-30 GPa)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "Synthesis, microstructural characterization and nanoindentation of Zr, Zr-nitride and Zr-carbonitride coatings deposited using magnetron sputtering (Journal of Advanced Research 29, 2020, 107-119)",
        "id": "doi:10.1016/j.jare.2020.11.010",
        "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8020350",
        "year": 2020,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (per the article page)"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "corrosion_rate",
      "label": "Corrosion rate in Hank's solution, ZrN film at -100 V bias",
      "value": 0.0026,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "mpy",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "electrolyte": "Hank's solution, a simulated physiological medium",
        "form": "ZrN film on 316L stainless steel, sample S3, 1.61 um thick (Table 2)",
        "method_of_measurement": "potentiodynamic polarisation, Tafel extrapolation, PARSTAT 400 potentiostat"
      },
      "method": "Electrochemical test, corrosion rate from Tafel extrapolation",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "jee-2019-zrn",
      "where": "Table 3, S3 column (-100 V), Corrosion Rate Cr (mpy)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (Journal of Electrical Engineering 70, no. 7S, 2019, pp. 112-116)",
        "id": "doi:10.2478/jee-2019-0051",
        "url": "https://reference-global.com/download/article/10.2478/jee-2019-0051.pdf",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "not stated on the copy read"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "corrosion_rate",
      "label": "Corrosion rate in Hank's solution, uncoated stainless steel",
      "value": 0.0244,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "mpy",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "electrolyte": "Hank's solution, a simulated physiological medium",
        "form": "uncoated stainless steel substrate (316L)",
        "method_of_measurement": "potentiodynamic polarisation, Tafel extrapolation, PARSTAT 400 potentiostat"
      },
      "method": "Electrochemical test, corrosion rate from Tafel extrapolation",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "jee-2019-zrn",
      "where": "Table 3, Uncoated Steel column, Corrosion Rate Cr (mpy)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (Journal of Electrical Engineering 70, no. 7S, 2019, pp. 112-116)",
        "id": "doi:10.2478/jee-2019-0051",
        "url": "https://reference-global.com/download/article/10.2478/jee-2019-0051.pdf",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "not stated on the copy read"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "corrosion_rate",
      "label": "Corrosion rate in Hank's solution, ZrN film at 0 V bias",
      "value": 0.0451,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "mpy",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "electrolyte": "Hank's solution, a simulated physiological medium",
        "form": "ZrN film on 316L stainless steel, sample S1, 2.0 um thick (Table 2)",
        "method_of_measurement": "potentiodynamic polarisation, Tafel extrapolation, PARSTAT 400 potentiostat"
      },
      "method": "Electrochemical test, corrosion rate from Tafel extrapolation",
      "status": "ground",
      "note": "The unbiased film corroded faster than the uncoated steel in this test.",
      "source": "jee-2019-zrn",
      "where": "Table 3, S1 column (0 V), Corrosion Rate Cr (mpy)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (Journal of Electrical Engineering 70, no. 7S, 2019, pp. 112-116)",
        "id": "doi:10.2478/jee-2019-0051",
        "url": "https://reference-global.com/download/article/10.2478/jee-2019-0051.pdf",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "not stated on the copy read"
      }
    },
    {
      "benchmark": "corrosion_rate",
      "label": "Corrosion rate in Hank's solution, ZrN film at -50 V bias",
      "value": 0.0244,
      "bound": "exact",
      "unit": "mpy",
      "scope": "material",
      "conditions": {
        "electrolyte": "Hank's solution, a simulated physiological medium",
        "form": "ZrN film on 316L stainless steel, sample S2, 1.43 um thick (Table 2)",
        "method_of_measurement": "potentiodynamic polarisation, Tafel extrapolation, PARSTAT 400 potentiostat"
      },
      "method": "Electrochemical test, corrosion rate from Tafel extrapolation",
      "status": "ground",
      "source": "jee-2019-zrn",
      "where": "Table 3, S2 column (-50 V), Corrosion Rate Cr (mpy)",
      "source_detail": {
        "title": "The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (Journal of Electrical Engineering 70, no. 7S, 2019, pp. 112-116)",
        "id": "doi:10.2478/jee-2019-0051",
        "url": "https://reference-global.com/download/article/10.2478/jee-2019-0051.pdf",
        "year": 2019,
        "kind": "paper",
        "license": "not stated on the copy read"
      }
    }
  ],
  "corrosion": [
    {
      "environment": "Hank's solution (simulated physiological medium), ZrN films on 316L stainless steel",
      "headline": "A ZrN film made at -100 V bias corroded about nine times more slowly than uncoated steel in the same solution.",
      "effect": "Potentiodynamic tests gave a corrosion rate of 0.0026 mpy for the -100 V film, against 0.0244 mpy for uncoated steel, 0.0244 mpy for the -50 V film and 0.0451 mpy for the 0 V film. The -100 V film also had the highest polarisation resistance of the set (12.155 MOhm).",
      "rating": "low",
      "conditions": {
        "exposure": "electrochemical polarisation in Hank's solution; no long-term immersion reported",
        "film": "reactive RF magnetron sputtering of ZrN on 316L, bias 0 V to -100 V"
      },
      "source": "jee-2019-zrn",
      "where": "Table 3 (electrochemical parameters, all sample columns)"
    }
  ],
  "risks": {
    "hazards": [
      {
        "text": "PubChem's GHS record for zirconium nitride is based on 7 reports. It says 14.3 % (1 of 7) of those reports do not meet GHS hazard criteria.",
        "ghs": [
          "H228 (71.4 % of reports): Flammable solid",
          "H315 (85.7 % of reports): Causes skin irritation",
          "H319 (85.7 % of reports): Causes serious eye irritation",
          "H335 (85.7 % of reports): May cause respiratory irritation"
        ],
        "source": "pubchem-zrn",
        "where": "Safety and Hazards, GHS Classification (CID 94359 record); signal word Danger, pictograms GHS02 and GHS07"
      }
    ],
    "failure_risks": [],
    "side_effects": [],
    "handling": [
      {
        "text": "PubChem lists precautionary codes P210, P240, P241, P261, P264, P271, P280 and P405 for this compound, but the statement text was not read in this run. Check the supplier's safety data sheet for powder or target stock.",
        "source": "pubchem-zrn",
        "where": "Safety and Hazards, Precautionary Statement Codes (CID 94359 record)"
      }
    ],
    "mitigations": [
      {
        "text": "Applying a -100 V substrate bias during sputtering gave the lowest corrosion rate of the set (0.0026 mpy in Hank's solution) and the highest nanohardness (39.3 GPa), against 0.0451 mpy for the film made at 0 V.",
        "source": "jee-2019-zrn",
        "where": "Table 3 and Section 3 (nanohardness text)"
      }
    ]
  },
  "uses": [
    {
      "application": "mechanisms",
      "device": "Wear-resistant coating for sliding parts (tribological use, terrestrial)",
      "example": "The 2020 paper says Zr-nitride coatings have been evaluated for hardness and wear resistance in tribological applications. Its conclusion calls them potential candidates for tribological applications. No flight or wear test of ZrN in space is reported.",
      "source": "ul-hamid-jar-2020",
      "where": "Introduction; Conclusions"
    },
    {
      "application": "electronics-and-chips",
      "device": "Barrier layer in integrated circuits (terrestrial)",
      "example": "The same paper names Zr-nitride as a barrier material in integrated circuits. This is a statement about the material class, not a test of ZrN in a device.",
      "source": "ul-hamid-jar-2020",
      "where": "Introduction"
    }
  ],
  "supply": [
    {
      "subject": "Zirconium (zircon and zirconium mineral concentrates)",
      "abundance": "not read in this run",
      "producers": [
        {
          "country": "Australia",
          "share_percent": 33.3,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "South Africa",
          "share_percent": 22.5,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "Mozambique",
          "share_percent": 13.3,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "China",
          "share_percent": 8.3,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "Senegal",
          "share_percent": 5.8,
          "year": 2025
        },
        {
          "country": "Indonesia",
          "share_percent": 4.3,
          "year": 2025
        }
      ],
      "critical_lists": [],
      "recycling": "USGS: companies in Oregon and Utah recycle zirconium from new scrap and from post-commercial old scrap. Zircon foundry mold cores and spent or rejected zirconia refractories are often recycled but could not be quantified.",
      "substitutes": [
        "USGS: chromite and olivine can substitute for zircon in some foundry applications (the chapter's substitute list is for zircon, not for zirconium nitride)."
      ],
      "source": "usgs-mcs2026-zirconium-hafnium",
      "where": "World Mine Production and Reserves table, zirconium mineral concentrates, 2025 (thousand metric tons, gross weight; shares calculated by Space Mushroom against the printed world total of 1,200 thousand t). Import Sources (2021 to 2024): zirconium ores and concentrates, South Africa 48%, Australia 35%, Senegal 15%. Recycling; Substitutes."
    }
  ],
  "media": [],
  "documents": [
    {
      "title": "PubChem compound record CID 94359 (zirconium nitride), GHS classification",
      "type": "database",
      "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/94359/JSON",
      "year": 2026
    },
    {
      "title": "USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Zirconium and Hafnium",
      "type": "report",
      "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-zirconium-hafnium.pdf",
      "year": 2026
    },
    {
      "title": "WebElements, Zirconium nitride properties table",
      "type": "database",
      "url": "https://winter.group.shef.ac.uk/webelements/compounds/zirconium/zirconium_nitride.html",
      "year": 2026
    },
    {
      "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x carbonitrides (arXiv 1306.3139)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
      "year": 2013
    },
    {
      "title": "The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (J. Electrical Engineering 70, 2019)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://reference-global.com/download/article/10.2478/jee-2019-0051.pdf",
      "year": 2019
    },
    {
      "title": "Synthesis, microstructural characterization and nanoindentation of Zr, Zr-nitride and Zr-carbonitride coatings (J. Adv. Res. 2020)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8020350",
      "year": 2020
    },
    {
      "title": "Deposition, microstructure and nanoindentation of multilayer Zr nitride and carbonitride nanostructured coatings (Sci. Rep. 2022)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8979963",
      "year": 2022
    },
    {
      "title": "Thermodynamic properties of zirconium nitride in the condensed state (Physics-Uspekhi 67, 2024)",
      "type": "paper",
      "url": "https://ufn.ru/en/articles/accepted/39655",
      "year": 2024
    }
  ],
  "gaps": [
    "No oxidation onset temperature for ZrN in air was read on a fetched page. The Coatings 2020 paper (10(2):149) returned HTTP 403, so no value from it is used here.",
    "No electrical resistivity value for ZrN was read in a fetched page. A National Tsing Hua University thesis reports 56 with no readable unit, so it is not used.",
    "Thermal conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion and specific heat were not found in a readable source. The 2024 Physics-Uspekhi review (Aristova et al.) gives a heat-capacity equation for crystalline ZrN, but its coefficients were not printed in the text read.",
    "Young's modulus for ZrN films is only shown in a figure in the 2019 paper, and the 2020 and 2022 Ul-Hamid papers report modulus values for multilayers or with bar charts. No single-value modulus for ZrN films is used.",
    "Hardness values come from different loads and substrates (nanoindentation on 316L in the 2019 paper; a 23-30 GPa range in the 2020 paper). They are not one standard test and are not a Vickers value.",
    "Calculated bulk and elastic constants are first-principles values, not measurements. The paper's experimental bulk modulus values for ZrN were not printed in its ZrN row.",
    "The melting point and density come from one database page (WebElements) that gives no method and no reference per value. Other sites give slightly different melting points (search results only, not read).",
    "Atomic weights of zirconium and nitrogen were not read in a fetched page, so the recipe parts have no atomic_weight.",
    "Zirconium abundance in the crust and nitrogen supply were not read in this run; supply covers the zirconium component only.",
    "Critical-minerals status (USGS 2025 list and EU CRM list) was not stated in the zirconium chapter text read, so critical_lists is left empty.",
    "No space, vacuum, radiation or flight test of ZrN was found. The nuclear inert-matrix use (fast-reactor fuels) is in the story only, because no allowed application in the schema fits it.",
    "Property names used here that are not in spores/property-canon.yaml: hardness, lattice_constant, elastic_constant_c11, elastic_constant_c12, elastic_constant_c44, corrosion_rate.",
    "Failure risks were not found in a readable source for ZrN beyond the corrosion test, so failure_risks is empty.",
    "Some PubChem hazard figures were read through a summarising fetch rather than the raw record text, so the verify step should confirm them. The Hazards Summary section was not in the part of the page read.",
    "No media images were added."
  ],
  "story": {
    "why": "Zirconium nitride is a rock-salt nitride of zirconium. The 2022 study describes it as a refractory ceramic with a high melting point. The 2019 paper describes it as a material with high hardness, thermal and chemical stability, and low electrical resistivity. Those properties follow from the strong metal-nitrogen bonding in the rock-salt structure, which the calculations here model with DFT. The sputtering data show that bias voltage changes both the hardness and the corrosion resistance of the same film.",
    "uses": [
      {
        "where": "Wear-resistant coatings on sliding parts",
        "line": "A 2020 paper on Zr-nitride coatings says they have been evaluated for hardness and wear resistance in tribological applications and calls them potential candidates for tribological use."
      },
      {
        "where": "Barrier layer in integrated circuits",
        "line": "The same 2020 paper names Zr-nitride as a barrier material in integrated circuits. It is a statement about the material class, not a device test of ZrN."
      },
      {
        "where": "Biomedical coating on stainless steel (laboratory study)",
        "line": "The 2019 paper studies ZrN films on 316L stainless steel for biomedical use and tests their corrosion in a simulated body fluid."
      },
      {
        "where": "Inert matrix in fast-reactor nuclear fuel",
        "line": "A 2024 review of ZrN in the condensed state describes it as an inert matrix for mixed nitride fuels in fast neutron reactors. It gives no numbers in the text read."
      }
    ],
    "can_do": [
      {
        "label": "Hardness",
        "line": "Sputtered films on 316L reached 26.3 GPa unbiased and 39.3 GPa at -100 V bias, measured by nanoindentation. The 2020 paper gives 23 to 30 GPa for its own ZrN coatings.",
        "benchmark": "hardness",
        "scope": "material",
        "value": "26.3 to 39.3 GPa"
      },
      {
        "label": "Stiffness",
        "line": "First-principles calculations give a bulk modulus of 268.16 GPa (LDA) and 226.14 GPa (GGA) for rock-salt ZrN. These are calculated values, not measurements.",
        "benchmark": "bulk_modulus",
        "scope": "material",
        "value": "268.16 GPa"
      },
      {
        "label": "Melting",
        "line": "The WebElements compound table gives a melting point of 2960 degC. The table does not give a method.",
        "benchmark": "melting_point",
        "scope": "material",
        "value": "2960 degC"
      },
      {
        "label": "Corrosion in body fluid",
        "line": "A film made at -100 V bias corroded at 0.0026 mpy in Hank's solution, against 0.0244 mpy for uncoated stainless steel. A film made at 0 V corroded faster than the uncoated steel.",
        "benchmark": "corrosion_rate",
        "scope": "material",
        "value": "0.0026 mpy"
      }
    ],
    "compare": "Zirconium nitride is a hard, high-melting nitride. The sources read here give a calculated bulk modulus, a hardness range and a body-fluid corrosion test, but no oxidation onset or electrical resistivity value. Its hardness and modulus can be set beside those of other hard nitrides in this collection, but the oxidation comparison cannot be made from the sources read in this run.",
    "compare_rows": [
      {
        "label": "Melting point",
        "benchmark": "melting_point",
        "scope": "material"
      },
      {
        "label": "Density",
        "benchmark": "density",
        "scope": "material"
      },
      {
        "label": "Bulk modulus",
        "benchmark": "bulk_modulus",
        "scope": "material"
      }
    ],
    "handling": [
      "The PubChem record gives precautionary codes but no storage advice. Read the supplier's safety data sheet for powder or target stock.",
      "Keep powder away from heat sources, since most PubChem reports list it as a flammable solid.",
      "Set the substrate bias during sputtering. In the 2019 test, a 0 V film corroded faster than uncoated steel, while a -100 V film corroded about nine times more slowly."
    ],
    "good_for": [
      "Hard coatings on steel. Sputtered ZrN reached 26.3 to 39.3 GPa nanohardness on 316L in the 2019 study.",
      "Corrosion protection in a body-fluid test. The -100 V film corroded at 0.0026 mpy against 0.0244 mpy for uncoated steel."
    ],
    "watch_out": [
      "Oxidation in air. No readable source in this run gives an onset temperature for ZrN.",
      "Bias voltage matters a great deal. The 0 V film corroded faster than uncoated steel in the same test.",
      "The calculated moduli are first-principles values, and the hardness figures come from lab films on one substrate, not from flight or service tests."
    ],
    "verdict": "Zirconium nitride is a hard, high-melting, yellow nitride that protected 316L steel in one body-fluid test when it was biased at -100 V. Its oxidation limit in air and its behaviour in space are not sourced yet, so treat it as a lab-stage candidate until those are read.",
    "recipe": {
      "line": "Zirconium nitride is one zirconium atom bonded to one nitrogen atom in a rock-salt crystal (space group Fm-3m). It is made as a thin film by reactive magnetron sputtering of a pure zirconium target in a mix of argon and nitrogen gas, as in the 2019 study.",
      "parts": [
        {
          "name": "Zirconium",
          "symbol": "Zr",
          "role": "The metal that gives the film its hardness. The sputtering target is 99.99 % pure zirconium."
        },
        {
          "name": "Nitrogen",
          "symbol": "N",
          "role": "Reacts with the sputtered zirconium in the gas mix to form the rock-salt nitride. The nitrogen share of the gas controls the film's composition."
        }
      ]
    },
    "risk_groups": [
      {
        "title": "For people",
        "lead": "PubChem's GHS record for zirconium nitride is based on 7 reports. Six of the seven carry hazard statements, so the powder should be handled as a hazardous solid until the supplier's sheet says otherwise.",
        "points": [
          {
            "label": "The notifications",
            "line": "The record gives a signal word of Danger and pictograms for flammable material and irritation. H228 (flammable solid) appears in 71.4 % of reports. H315, H319 and H335 (skin, eye and respiratory irritation) each appear in 85.7 %."
          }
        ],
        "level": 0,
        "verdict": "Most reports list hazards; check the SDS"
      },
      {
        "title": "Handling",
        "points": [
          {
            "label": "Storage",
            "line": "The PubChem record read gives no storage advice. The supplier's safety data sheet is the source for storage and for the target or powder you use."
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "updated": "2026-10-26",
  "review": {
    "status": "draft",
    "method": "assistant",
    "checked_values": 14,
    "unreachable": 3,
    "caveats": 3,
    "note": "Written by an AI assistant on 2026-10-26 from pages read in this run. Three open sources returned HTTP 403 or an access-denied page (MDPI Coatings 10(2):149, RSC Materials Advances 2020 d0ma00233j, Sheffield HiPIMS ZrN paper). Some PubChem and WebElements figures were read through a summarising fetch. Calculated values are first-principles results, not measurements."
  },
  "sources": {
    "pubchem-zrn": {
      "title": "PubChem compound record CID 94359 (zirconium nitride, azanylidynezirconium), GHS and safety sections",
      "id": "CID 94359",
      "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/94359/JSON",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "database",
      "license": "public domain (NCBI)"
    },
    "usgs-mcs2026-zirconium-hafnium": {
      "title": "Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026, Zirconium and Hafnium",
      "id": "USGS MCS 2026",
      "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-zirconium-hafnium.pdf",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "report",
      "license": "public domain (USGS)"
    },
    "webelements-zrn": {
      "title": "WebElements, Zirconium nitride (compound properties table)",
      "id": "WebElements, Sheffield",
      "url": "https://winter.group.shef.ac.uk/webelements/compounds/zirconium/zirconium_nitride.html",
      "year": 2026,
      "kind": "database",
      "license": "not stated on the page read"
    },
    "krasnenko-arxiv-2013": {
      "title": "First-principles calculations of the structural, elastic and electronic properties of MNxC1-x (M=Ti, Zr, Hf) carbonitrides at ambient and elevated hydrostatic pressure (Krasnenko and Brik)",
      "id": "arXiv:1306.3139",
      "url": "https://arxiv.org/pdf/1306.3139",
      "year": 2013,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "arXiv preprint (author license as listed on arXiv)"
    },
    "jee-2019-zrn": {
      "title": "The influence of substrate bias voltage on the electrochemical properties of ZrN thin films deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering (Journal of Electrical Engineering 70, no. 7S, 2019, pp. 112-116)",
      "id": "doi:10.2478/jee-2019-0051",
      "url": "https://reference-global.com/download/article/10.2478/jee-2019-0051.pdf",
      "year": 2019,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "not stated on the copy read"
    },
    "ul-hamid-jar-2020": {
      "title": "Synthesis, microstructural characterization and nanoindentation of Zr, Zr-nitride and Zr-carbonitride coatings deposited using magnetron sputtering (Journal of Advanced Research 29, 2020, 107-119)",
      "id": "doi:10.1016/j.jare.2020.11.010",
      "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8020350",
      "year": 2020,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (per the article page)"
    },
    "ul-hamid-sr-2022": {
      "title": "Deposition, microstructure and nanoindentation of multilayer Zr nitride and carbonitride nanostructured coatings (Scientific Reports 12, 5591)",
      "id": "doi:10.1038/s41598-022-09449-6",
      "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8979963",
      "year": 2022,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "CC BY 4.0 (per the article page)"
    },
    "aristova-ufn-2024": {
      "title": "Thermodynamic properties of zirconium nitride in the condensed state (Physics-Uspekhi 67, 2024, 1022-1033)",
      "id": "Aristova, Onufriev, Savvatimskiy",
      "url": "https://ufn.ru/en/articles/accepted/39655",
      "year": 2024,
      "kind": "paper",
      "license": "not stated; page says reproduction needs publisher permission"
    }
  },
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "url": "https://spacemushroom.com/profiles/zirconium-nitride/"
}