Hafnium
⚛️ In Your World
Hafnium is a lustrous, silvery metal that is chemically very similar to zirconium. Its most critical application is in nuclear reactors, particularly in submarines, where it is used to make control rods that are excellent at absorbing neutrons to control the rate of fission. It is also used in high-temperature superalloys for jet engines and in the manufacturing of modern microprocessors.
📖 The Discovery Story
Hafnium was one of the last stable elements to be discovered. Its existence was predicted by Dmitri Mendeleev in 1869, but it was not found until 1923 by Dirk Coster and George de Hevesy. They used X-ray spectroscopy to analyze zirconium ore and found the new element. They named it "hafnium" after Hafnia, the Latin name for Copenhagen, Denmark, the city where it was discovered.
📊 Properties at a Glance
| Phase at STP | Solid |
| Melting Point | 2233 °C / 4051 °F |
| Boiling Point | 4603 °C / 8317 °F |
| Electron Configuration | [Xe] 4f¹⁴5d²6s² |
| Abundance in Earth's Crust | 0.00033% |
⚠️ Safety & Handling
Hafnium metal is relatively non-toxic and safe to handle in its solid form. However, hafnium powder is pyrophoric, meaning it can ignite spontaneously in air. This creates a significant fire and explosion hazard that requires careful handling in industrial settings.