A simple method for the preparation of pure hafnium

The separation of zirconium and hafnium by fractional precipitation as pyrophosphate¹ has been extended for the preparation of pure hafnium. The favourable uptake of hafnium, in spite of the decreasing tendency of partition factor when hafnium concentration is high, is maintained for all concentration of hafnium (relative to zirconium). Particularly significant is the fact that at very high concentrations of hafnium (at≈84%) the uptake of zirconium sharply falls. So pure hafnium can be prepared from natural zirconium by a simple process of eight or nine stages of fractional precipitations as pyrophosphate. This process yields reactor grade zirconium on the one side and pure hafnium on the other side.