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| A soft, shiny, silvery transition metal which is chemically very similar to zirconium. It is protected from corrosion by an oxide layer.
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Crystal bar.
This beautiful object is a section from a crystal bar of hafnium. It is produced by decomposing hafnium iodide vapor on a white hot wire of hafnium metal. The halide compound breaks down at high temperature and hafnium metal is deposited in a growing crystal structure that eventually becomes over 1cm in diameter. The geometric pattern of the deposited crystalline metal is clearly visible. The original wire can just be seen at the centre of the bar. The process is used industrially to produce high purity samples of hafnium, although contamination from chemically very similar zirconium is impossible to entirely eliminate.
Source: donated by Anthony Lipmann
Size: 1"
Purity: 99.9% (excluding Zr)
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Plasma cutter tips.
The shiny button at the center of this electrode is made of pure hafnium: It is the source of the electric arc that makes a plasma cutter work. Hafnium is used because it releases electrons to the air very easily, while at the same time resisting the attack of oxygen from the air.
Source: Welding Shop
Size: 0.02"
Purity: 99.9%
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