Discovered in: 1923

Discovered by: Dirk Coster and George von Hevesey of Denmark

Description: Named from the Latin name of Copenhagen, hafnium is a lustrous silvery-gray metal that commonly occurs with zirconium. Most zirconium minerals contain a few percent hafnium and the two elements are most difficult to separate. Their chemistry is nearly identical. Hafnium is an unreactive metal, unaffected by air, water, most acids or bases. Like cadmium, it absorbs neutrons, and consequently is used in the control rods of nuclear reactors, especially reactors found on nuclear submarines. It is also used in high temperature alloys, light bulbs and ceramics. Hafnium also is used as a scavenger metal, especially against oxygen and nitrogen.

Biological Rating: No known benefits for life processes in plants and animals. Biological Benefits: Hafnium has no known biological use.

Percentage Amount in the Human Body: Near 0 %

Obtained from: Hafnium minerals are very rare. It is chiefly obtained as a by-product of zirconium processing. Hafnium is recovered from zircon, a heavy mineral that accumulates in placer deposits with titanium minerals. Hafnium is produced in Australia, South Africa and the USA.