Hafnium Facts
Hafnium Facts
|
| Interesting Hafnium Facts: |
|---|
| Hafnium wasn't discovered until 1923 by Dirk Coster and Georg von Hevesy. |
| The pair discovered hafnium by using x-ray spectroscopy on sample of zirconium ore. |
| At the time of its discovery, hafnium was one of the two non-radioactive elements that had been predicted but had not yet been discovered. |
| Hafnium does not exist in nature on its own, but is combined with zirconium to form minerals. |
| Hafnium is found in the Earth's crust at around 5.8 parts per million. |
| It reacts in air and forms a film to protect the sample. |
| Because of this, hafnium is very resistant to corrosion. |
| A very fine sample of hafnium can spontaneously combust in air. |
| Hafnium compounds tend to be inorganic. |
| At considerably high temperatures, hafnium reacts with several elements, including oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, iron, silicon, and sulfur. |
| Hafnium readily forms compounds with zirconium. |
| Hafnium is so similar to the chemical properties of zirconium that they are the some of the most difficult to separate from a sample. |
| Hafnium carbide has a melting point of higher than 3890-degrees Celsius, and is the most refractory compound known. |
| Tantalum hafnium carbide has a melting point of 4215-degrees Celsius, which is the highest of any known compound. |
| The high melting points of hafnium compound are being researched for possible applications in building materials that will be used as high temperatures. |
| There are five stable isotopes of hafnium, and at least twenty-nine radioactive isotopes. |
| The nuclear isomer of hafnium was long regarded as a potential weapon. |
| This belief is called the Hafnium Controversy, as researchers debated the possibility of the element triggering rapid energy release. |
| Hafnium is used to create alloys with several metals, including iron, niobium, titanium, and tantalum. |
| It is also used in nuclear reactors for its ability to absorb multiple neutrons. |
| At the current rate of use, some estimates state that the supply of hafnium will be gone in ten years. |
|
Related Links: Facts Periodic Table Facts Animals Facts |