Hafnium

Hafnium
Hafnium block | Image: Learnool

Hafnium (Hf) is a chemical element of the periodic table, located in the group 4 and the period 6, and is having the atomic number 72. It is a ductile, lustrous, silvery-grey transition metal, which is named after Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen, the city where it was discovered.

On periodic table

group 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
period
1 1
H
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Hydrogen
2
He
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Helium
2 3
Li
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Lithium
4
Be
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Beryllium
5
B
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Boron
6
C
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Carbon
7
N
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Nitrogen
8
O
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Oxygen
9
F
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Fluorine
10
Ne
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Neon
3 11
Na
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Sodium
12
Mg
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Magnesium
13
Al
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Aluminium
14
Si
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Silicon
15
P
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Phosphorus
16
S
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Sulfur
17
Cl
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Chlorine
18
Ar
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Argon
4 19
K
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Potassium
20
Ca
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Calcium
21
Sc
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Scandium
22
Ti
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Titanium
23
V
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Vanadium
24
Cr
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Chromium
25
Mn
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Manganese
26
Fe
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Iron
27
Co
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Cobalt
28
Ni
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Nickel
29
Cu
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Copper
30
Zn
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Zinc
31
Ga
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Gallium
32
Ge
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Germanium
33
As
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Arsenic
34
Se
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Selenium
35
Br
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Bromine
36
Kr
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Krypton
5 37
Rb
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Rubidium
38
Sr
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Strontium
39
Y
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Yttrium
40
Zr
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Zirconium
41
Nb
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Niobium
42
Mo
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Molybdenum
43
Tc
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Technetium
44
Ru
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Ruthenium
45
Rh
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Rhodium
46
Pd
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Palladium
47
Ag
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Silver
48
Cd
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Cadmium
49
In
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Indium
50
Sn
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Tin
51
Sb
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Antimony
52
Te
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Tellurium
53
I
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Iodine
54
Xe
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Xenon
6 55
Cs
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Caesium
56
Ba
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Barium
72
Hf
Hafnium
73
Ta
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Tantalum
74
W
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Tungsten
75
Re
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Rhenium
76
Os
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Osmium
77
Ir
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Iridium
78
Pt
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Platinum
79
Au
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Gold
80
Hg
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Mercury
81
Tl
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Thallium
82
Pb
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Lead
83
Bi
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Bismuth
84
Po
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Polonium
85
At
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Astatine
86
Rn
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Radon
7 87
Fr
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Francium
88
Ra
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Radium
104
Rf
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Rutherfordium
105
Db
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Dubnium
106
Sg
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Seaborgium
107
Bh
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Bohrium
108
Hs
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Hassium
109
Mt
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Meitnerium
110
Ds
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Darmstadtium
111
Rg
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Roentgenium
112
Cn
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Copernicium
113
Nh
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Nihonium
114
Fl
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Flerovium
115
Mc
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Moscovium
116
Lv
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Livermorium
117
Ts
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Tennessine
118
Og
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Oganesson
57
La
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Lanthanum
58
Ce
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Cerium
59
Pr
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Praseodymium
60
Nd
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Neodymium
61
Pm
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Promethium
62
Sm
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Samarium
63
Eu
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Europium
64
Gd
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Gadolinium
65
Tb
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Terbium
66
Dy
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Dysprosium
67
Ho
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Holmium
68
Er
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Erbium
69
Tm
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Thulium
70
Yb
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Ytterbium
71
Lu
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Lutetium
89
Ac
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Actinium
90
Th
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Thorium
91
Pa
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Protactinium
92
U
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Uranium
93
Np
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Neptunium
94
Pu
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Plutonium
95
Am
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Americium
96
Cm
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Curium
97
Bk
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Berkelium
98
Cf
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Californium
99
Es
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Einsteinium
100
Fm
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Fermium
101
Md
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Mendelevium
102
No
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Nobelium
103
Lr
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Lawrencium
– d block

Hafnium is a d-block element, situated in the fourth column and the sixth row of the periodic table, denoted by the atomic number 72 and chemical symbol Hf.

Element information

Hafnium Element
Hafnium appearance | Image: Wikipedia
Hafnium Periodic Table
Hafnium location on periodic table | Image: Learnool
Hafnium is found in the fourth column of the periodic table, below the zirconium element.
Origin of name named after Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen
Symbol Hf
Atomic number (Z) 72
Atomic mass 178.49 u
Block d-block
Group 4
Period 6
Classification Transition metal
Atomic radius 159 pm
Covalent radius 175±10 pm
Melting point 2233 ℃, 4051 ℉, 2506 K
Boiling point 4603 ℃, 8317 ℉, 4876 K
Electron configuration [Xe] 4f14 5d2 6s2
Learn how to write: Hafnium electron configuration
Electrons per shell 2, 8, 18, 32, 10, 2
Learn how to draw: Hafnium Bohr model
Crystal structure Hexagonal close-packed (hcp)
Phase at r.t Solid
Density near r.t 13.31 g/cm3
Main isotopes Hafnium-176, Hafnium-177, Hafnium-178, Hafnium-179, Hafnium-180
Natural occurrence Primordial
Oxidation state +4
Electronegativity (Pauling scale) 1.3
Protons
Neutrons
Electrons
72
106
72
Learn how to find: Hafnium protons neutrons electrons
CAS number 7440-58-6
Discovered by George Charles de Hevesy and Dirk Coster in 1923

History

Hafnium was discovered by the Danish chemist, Dirk Coster and the Hungarian physicist, George Charles von Hevesy in 1923. They found it in zirconium ore, which had been previously thought to contain only one stable element, zirconium.

Coster and von Hevesy were studying X-ray spectra of zirconium ore samples and observed some unknown X-ray lines, which they attributed to a new element. They named it “hafnium” after the Latin name for Copenhagen, “Hafnia,” where Coster was based.

The discovery of hafnium filled a gap in the periodic table, as its properties had been predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in his original periodic table, but no known element matched the predictions until the discovery of hafnium. Hafnium is a silvery-gray metal and is often found in association with zirconium. It is relatively abundant in the Earth’s crust, but it is difficult to isolate hafnium from zirconium, which is a more abundant element.

Occurrence and production

Hafnium is a relatively rare element in the Earth’s crust, with an abundance of only 3 parts per million. It does not exist in its pure form in nature but can be found in several minerals such as zirconium minerals and rare earth minerals. Zirconium minerals are the primary source of hafnium.

Hafnium is produced commercially by reducing hafnium tetrachloride with magnesium or sodium. This process is known as the Kroll process, which is also used to produce titanium. Another method for producing hafnium is the crystal bar process, which involves the reduction of hafnium tetrachloride with either iodine or other reducing agents. The purified hafnium metal can be obtained by thermal decomposition of hafnium iodide, which is produced in this process.

Properties

Hafnium is a relatively heavy metal, with a density of 13.31 g/cm³.

It has a high melting point of 2233 ℃ and a boiling point of 4603 ℃, which are both significantly higher than those of its neighbor zirconium.

Hafnium has a very high thermal neutron-capture cross-section, making it an excellent material for use in nuclear reactors.

Hafnium has a low coefficient of thermal expansion, making it useful for applications where dimensional stability is important.

It is highly resistant to corrosion and is commonly used in the production of high-temperature alloys and other advanced materials.

Hafnium is paramagnetic at room temperature, meaning that it is weakly attracted to magnetic fields.

Hafnium has the highest Young’s modulus of all metals, giving it excellent strength and stiffness.

Applications

Nuclear reactors

Hafnium has a very high thermal neutron absorption cross-section, which makes it an excellent material for control rods in nuclear reactors. These control rods absorb neutrons and help regulate the fission process.

Aerospace industry

Hafnium has a high melting point and is resistant to corrosion, making it a useful material in the aerospace industry. It is used in the manufacture of jet engines, rocket nozzles, and other high-temperature applications.

Electronics industry

Hafnium oxide is used as a high-k dielectric material in the manufacture of modern semiconductor devices. It allows for the creation of smaller and more efficient transistors in microprocessors and other electronic components.

Medical implants

Hafnium alloys are biocompatible and have been used in medical implants, such as dental implants and hip replacements.

Catalysis

Hafnium compounds have been shown to be effective catalysts for a variety of chemical reactions, including the polymerization of olefins.

Optical coatings

Hafnium oxide is also used as a coating material for optical components, such as lenses and mirrors. It has a high refractive index, which allows for better light transmission and reflection.

Interesting facts

Hafnium was named after the Latin name for Copenhagen, “Hafnia,” where it was discovered.

Hafnium has the highest neutron capture cross-section of all non-radioactive elements, making it useful in controlling nuclear reactions.

The use of hafnium in tungsten filaments for incandescent light bulbs allowed them to operate at higher temperatures, producing brighter light.

Hafnium is an important element in aerospace technology due to its high melting point and ability to resist corrosion and wear.

Hafnium is often used in alloys with other metals to increase their strength and resistance to corrosion.

Hafnium oxide is used as a gate insulator in advanced microprocessors, helping to improve their performance.

Hafnium is a rare element, with only about 50 metric tons produced annually worldwide.

Related

More elements

s block
p block
d block
f block
Barium Aluminium Bohrium Actinium
Beryllium Antimony Cadmium Americium
Caesium Argon Chromium Berkelium
Calcium Arsenic Cobalt Californium
Francium Astatine Copernicium Cerium
Helium Bismuth Copper Curium
Hydrogen Boron Darmstadtium Dysprosium
Lithium Bromine Dubnium Einsteinium
Magnesium Carbon Gold Erbium
Potassium Chlorine Hafnium Europium
Radium Flerovium Hassium Fermium
Rubidium Fluorine Iridium Gadolinium
Sodium Gallium Iron Holmium
Strontium Germanium Lawrencium Lanthanum
Indium Lutetium Mendelevium
Iodine Manganese Neodymium
Krypton Meitnerium Neptunium
Lead Mercury Nobelium
Livermorium Molybdenum Plutonium
Moscovium Nickel Praseodymium
Neon Niobium Promethium
Nihonium Osmium Protactinium
Nitrogen Palladium Samarium
Oganesson Platinum Terbium
Oxygen Rhenium Thorium
Phosphorus Rhodium Thulium
Polonium Roentgenium Uranium
Radon Ruthenium Ytterbium
Selenium Rutherfordium
Silicon Scandium
Sulfur Seaborgium
Tellurium Silver
Tennessine Tantalum
Thallium Technetium
Tin Titanium
Xenon Tungsten
Vanadium
Yttrium
Zinc
Zirconium

External links

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Learnool.com was founded by Deep Rana, who is a mechanical engineer by profession and a blogger by passion. He has a good conceptual knowledge on different educational topics and he provides the same on this website. He loves to learn something new everyday and believes that the best utilization of free time is developing a new skill.

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