Page 89 - The Periodic Table Book
P. 89
72
Hf Hafnium
State: Solid
72 72 106 Discovery: 1923
Forms
Hafnium uses up 4%
of the mass of this
zircon crystal. Transition Metals
Zircon A zircon
crystals
crystal can be up to
4 billion
years old.
Laboratory sample
of pure hafnium
This element’s pure
form is resistant to
corrosion in air.
Uses Sections of this Small electronic
cutter are made
components in
of hafnium. this microchip
contain hafnium.
Microchip
Metal cutter
Hafnium is named after Hafnia, the similar sizes. Hafnium is used in powerful
Latin word for the city of Copenhagen cutters that pierce metallic objects with
in Denmark. It took a long time to distinguish a hot stream of sparks. It is also used to
hafnium from zirconium because the two make ultra-small electronics – only a
elements are present together in crystals few millionths of a millimetre wide –
of the mineral zircon and their atoms are in microchips. 87
086-087_Cadmium-Hafnium.indd 87 02/12/16 10:00 pm
