A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table

87

Transition Metals

Cadmium, Hafnium

Hf

72

Forms

Uses

Hafnium is named after Hafnia, the

Latin word for the city of Copenhagen

in Denmark. It took a long time to distinguish

hafnium from zirconium because the two

elements are present together in crystals

of the mineral zircon and their atoms are

similar sizes. Hafnium is used in powerful

cutters that pierce metallic objects with

a hot stream of sparks. It is also used to

make ultra-small electronics – only a

few millionths of a millimetre wide –

in microchips.

72 72 106

State: Solid

Discovery: 1923

Metal cutter

Microchip

Laboratory sample

of pure hafnium

Sections of this

cutter are made

of hafnium.

This element’s pure

form is resistant to

corrosion in air.

Hafnium uses up 4%

of the mass of this

zircon crystal.

A zircon

crystal can be up to

4 billion

years old.

Small electronic

components in

this microchip

contain hafnium.

cry

st

al

s

Zir

co

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