Hafnium's physical and chemical properties closely resemble those of zirconium, which is the reason why it was discovered very late in history compared to the other elements. The combination of these properties render hafnium useless for many applications common to other metals. However, one characteristic stands out from most other elements, which is hafnium's unrivalled ability to absorb neutrons. This property makes hafnium one of the best choices for the construction of control bars to be used in nuclear reactors in order to keep them in safe operation.
See where Hafnium falls on the material property chart for Density against Elastic modulus in your materials selection and design process. Our Ashby charts are interactive with more technical data upon clicking. Sign up to get access to this premium feature for free.
Density
ρ13.1 g/cm³ at 20 °C
Melting point
Tm2227 °C
Specific heat capacity
cp146 J/(kg·K) at 20 °C
Thermal conductivity
λ23 W/(m·K) at 20 °C
Electrical resistivity
ρel3.2E-7 Ω·m at 20 °C
This material data has been provided by Matmatch.