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Element 72 - Hafnium (Hf)
From
Hafnia
, the Latin name for Copenhagen; discovered 1923. A "wonder metal" of the atomic age, hafnium has a great appetite for neutrons. Thus it goes into neutron-absorbing reactor control rods which slow down nuclear chain reactions and also quench atomic "fires."
Properties
Atomic Number
:
72
Atomic Weight
:
178.49
Electron Configuration
(at ground state):
1s
2
2s
2
2p
6
3s
2
3p
6
3d
10
4s
2
4p
6
4d
10
4f
14
5s
2
5p
6
5d
2
6s
2
Oxidation States
(Bold most stable):
+4
Boiling Point
(K):
4875
Melting Point (K):
2504
Density
(at 300K -- g/cm
3
):
13.31
Atomic Volume (at 300K -- cm
3
/mol)
13.6
Number of stable
isotopes
:
6
Covalent Radius (Å):
1.44
Atomic Radius (Å):
1.67
First
Ionization Potential
(V):
6.65
Electronegativity
(Pauling's):
1.3
Specific Heat
Capacity (at 300K -- J g
-1
K
-1
):
0.14
Heat of Vaporization (kJ/mol):
661.07
Heat of Fusion (kJ/mol):
21.76
Electrical Conductivity (at 293K for polycrystalline material -- 10
6
-1
cm
-1
):
3.4
Thermal Conductivity (at 300K -- W m
-1
K
-1
):
23.0
Crystal Structure:
Hexagonal
Acid
-
Base
Properties:
Amphoteric