Hafnium
From Conservapedia
Hafnium | |
---|---|
Properties | |
Atomic symbol | Hf |
Atomic number | 72 |
Classification | Transition Metals |
Atomic mass | 178.49 amu |
Other Information | |
Date of discovery | 1923 |
Name of discoverer | Dirk Coster & Georg von Hevesy |
Name origin | From the Latin name for Copenhagen, Hafnia. |
Uses | Due to its ability to absorb neutrons, used in reactor control rods and also as a gas scavenger in vacuum tubes. |
Obtained from | Obtained as a by-product of zirconium refining. |
Hafnium is considered to be non-toxic. When in powder form it is pyrophoric (which means, it can spontaneously ignite).
Properties
Hafnium is a shiny, ductile (that is, it can be drawn out into wire) metal. Chemically this is very similar to the element zirconium. Hafnium is unaffected by all alkalis and all acids other than from hydrogen fluoride. It does reacts with the halogens to form tetrahalides, and at high temperatures it reacts with carbon, boron, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur and silicon.[1]
Uses
Pure Hafnium is used primarily in nuclear reactor control rods. However, its alloys are much more useful. Hafnium carbide is used to line high temperature furnaces, for example.[2]
References
Periodic Table of the Elements | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | |||||||
72
Hf 178.49 |
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*Lanthanides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
**Actinides | ||||||||||||||||||||||||