Hafnium

Adopted from Lil' Curry Boy

Hafnium can be bought in thin sheets like this:

Here are Hafnium's stats:

Hafnium's atomic number is 72, and its atomic mass is 178.49 amu. Its melting point is 2150º C (3902º F). It boils at 5400º C (9752º F). Hafnium is a shiny, silver, metallic transition element located in Group 4 and Period 6 of the periodic table. It is solid and is a metal. Hafnium has ten isotopes of which three are radioactive. It can be found in Zirconium deposits.

Hafnium has an electron shell diagram consisting of six energy levels: 2:8:18:32:10:2.

This is Hafnium's electron configuration:

Hafnium was discovered by Dirk Coster in 1923. Hafnium is from the Latin word Hafnia, which means "Copenhagen," after the city in which is was discovered.

Dirk Coster

Reactivity of Hafnium

Hafnium usually does not react with air, unless provoked. Hafnium does not react with water, too, under normal conditions. On the other hand, Hafnium reacts with the halogens Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, and Iodine when heated. Hafnium dissolves in hydrofluoric acids, also, but it does not react with bases.

A chunk of hafnium.

Hafnium

Uses of Hafnium

Hafnium is primarily used for nuclear reactor control rods to their ability to absorb neutrons. Hafnium is also used in gas filled and incandescent lamps and to alloy iron, tin, niobium and other metals.

Hafnium is used in nuclear power plants as fuel rods.

Citations:

The information is mostly from www.chemicalelements.com/elements/hf.html and www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Hf/key.html.

The pictures are thanks to resurgence.gn.apc.org/ issues/girardet201.htm,
www.bbs-winsen.de/GoBlack/ETechnik/elektro/grundlagen/elemente/Hafnium.jpg, www.dbnl.org/auteurs/ auteur.php3?id=cost006, www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Hf/key.html, and www.webelements.com/webelements/elements/text/Hf/econ.html.