72

Hf

Hafnium
178.49 (2)
 Historical Information

Hafnium was thought to be present in various zirconium minerals many years prior to its discovery, in 1923, which was credited to Dirk Coster and George Charles von Hevesey. It was finally identified in zircon (a zirconium ore) from Norway, by means of X-ray spectroscopic analysis.
Basic Information Shells
  • Name: Hafnium
  • Symbol: Hf
  • Atomic number: 72
  • Atomic weight: 178.49 (2)
  • Standard state: solid at 298 K
  • Group in periodic table: 4
  • Group name:none
  • Period in periodic table: 6
  • Block in periodic table: d-block
  • Classification: Metallic
 hafnium
Uses Trivia
  • alloying with iron, titanium, niobium and other metals
  • nuclear control rods
  • It is used in gas-filled and incandescent lamps.

Because hafnium has a good absorption cross section for thermal neutrons (almost 600 times that of zirconium), has excellent mechanical properties, and is extremely corrosion resistant, it is used for nuclear reactor control rods.