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.     

Development of a high-resolution inductively-coupled argon plasma apparatus for derivative spectrometry and its application to the determination of hafnium in high-purity zirconium oxide

A high-resolution apparatus for inductively-coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICPES) has been developed, based on an echelle spectrometer modified for wavelength modulation with a quartz refractor plate. The selectivity of the technique is thus improved, and small amounts of hafnium in high-purity zirconium oxide can be determined directly without prior separation or preconcentration. A straight-line calibration curve passing through the origin is obtained without any correction for the interference from zirconium which exists in large excess. The detection limit for hafnium is 0.06 microg/ml, and the relative standard deviation (10 replicates) for hafnium at the 1.2 microg/ml level is about 3%.     

Determination of zirconium and hafnium with xylenol orange and methylthymol blue

Both Xylenol Orange and Methylthymol Blue are highly selective and sensitive reagents for zirconium and hafnium forming intensely red complexes in an acidic medium. The factors affecting the color formation have been studied. The properties of the complexes have been determined and compared. In general, zirconium forms a more stable complex with the two dyes than hafnium, and Xylenol Orange forms a stronger complex with either zirconium or hafnium than Methylthymol Blue. Hydrogen peroxide can completely mask the zirconium complexes of either dye but only slightly affects the hafnium complex of Xylenol Orange. Zirconium and hafnium can both be determined without separation using peroxide as a masking agent and sulfate as a demasking agent. A bleaching reaction was observed when small amounts of hafnium were added to the red zirconium complex of Methylthymol Blue in 2.4 N perchloric acid or a small amount of zirconium was added to the red hafnium complex of Methylthymol Blue solution at pH 2 to 3.     

Analysis of mixtures of hafnium and zirconium by the methylthymol blue-hydrogen peroxide method

The reaction of hydrogen peroxide with the zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) Methylthymol Blue complexes (MeMTB) has been investigated. The conditional stability constants of the Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) complexes with hydrogen peroxide [K'(Me(H(2)O(2)))] were determined spectrophotometrically. The K'(Me(H(2)O(2))) values found, which depend on the acidity, are 3.91 x 10(2) 3.24 x 10(2), 2.63 x 10(2) at [HCl] = 0.2, 0.3, 1.0M respectively for Me = Zr(IV) and 0.828, 0.523, 0.319 for Me = Hf(IV). The ratios of the conditional stability constants, K'(Me(H(2)O(2)))/ K'(MeMTB), are: 5.52 x 10(-4), 5.79 x 10(-4), 8.23 x 10(-4) for Me = Zr(IV) and 2.08 x 10(-6), 2.74 x 10(-6), 1.48 x 10 (-5) for Me = Hf(IV) at the three acidities. The maximum of the ratio of the relative conditional stability constants is obtained in 0.2M hydrochloric acid. The conditions which should be complied with for the determination of hafnium in the presence of zirconium are discussed. The results were compared with those obtained by the Xylenol Orange-hydrochloric acid method. They are superior for samples containing less than 20 mole% of hafnium in admixture with zirconium.     

Application of zone-melting technique to metal chelate systems-XI Refining of tetrakis(di-n-propionylmethanato)zirconium(IV) from hafnium and trace amounts of some other metals

The zone-melting method was applied to purification of tetrakis(di-n-propionylmethanato)zirconium(IV) which contained copper(II), nickel(II), cobalt(II and III), iron(III) and hafnium(IV) in the forms of their chelates with the common ligand. All minor components having effective distribution coefficients < 1 in the zirconium(IV) chelate were concentrated toward the terminal end of the refining column. When an aqueous solution of zirconium(IV) containing zinC(II) and manganese(II) in addition to the metal contaminants above was treated with di-n-propionylmethane to precipitate the chelate complexes, only zinc, iron and hafnium were found in the precipitated zirconium chelate. The first two were ettectively removed by zone-melting. Though the separation of hafnium was poorer, the technique was efficient enough for practical purposes.     

X-ray determination of traces of hafnium in zirconium metal or traces of zirconium in hafnium metal after separation by ion exchange

A method is proposed for the determination of traces of hafnium in zirconium metal or zirconium in hafnium metal. The trace metals are first separated from the matrix metals on an ion-exchange column and then determined by X-ray analysis.     

Selective Determination of Hafnium with Solid Surface Room Temperature Phosphorescence Optosensing

Abstract

An optosensing method for selective determination of hafnium has be developed. It is based on the phenomenon that when the complex formed by 8-hydroxy-5-quinolinesulfonic acid with hafnium is absorbed on the strongly basic anion exchange resin, the phosphor can produce room temperature phosphora-scence (RTP) in aqueous medium. The hafnium can be determined selectively in the presence of zirconium. The RTP intensity is linear up to 4×10^-5 M of hafnium, the detection limit is found to be 5×10^-8 M of hafnium.     

Thermodynamics of oxidation of zirconium and hafnium borides

Gibbs thermodynamic potentials of oxidation of zirconium and hafnium diborides with molecular and atomic oxygen and nitrogen monoxide were calculated for a temperature range of 20–2500°C. Oxidation of zirconium and hafnium borides with atomic oxygen was found to be the most expected reaction. The probability of oxidation is lower for zirconium boride than that for hafnium boride.     

Adsorption behavior of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta and Pa on macroporous anion exchanger in NH4SCN/HClO4 and NH4SCN/HF media

The possible use of thiocyanate and ammonium thiocyanate-hydrofluoric acid mixtures for quantitative anion exchange separation of zirconium from hafnium and niobium from tantalum and protactinium has been investigated. Distribution coefficients of zirconium(IV), hafnium(IV), niobium(V), tantalum(V) and protactinium(V) on macroporous BIO-RAD AGMP1 resin over a wide range of SCN and SCN/HF concentrations have been determined. The simultaneous presence of these two complexing agents causes a strong decrease of the adsorption phenomena.     

On the stabilization of niobium(V) solutions by zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV)

Niobium cannot be separated from zirconium or hafnium when these elements occur together in solution with common anions such as chloride and sulphate. This is ascribed to the co-polymerization of niobium(V) and the hydrolysed ionic species of zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) to form colloidal particles. In hydrochloric acid the particles are positively charged, whereas in sulphate solution the Zr-and Hf-sulphate complexes confer a negative charge. The two cases are considered separately.     

A rapid procedure for the simultaneous determination of zirconium and hafnium in high-temperature alloys by means of a spectrophotometric masking approach

Data are presented for a refined spectrophotometric procedure for the simultaneous determination of zirconium and hafnium based on the combined effects of hydrogen peroxide, sodium sulphate, and excess of zirconium ion on the hafnium and zirconium complexes with Xylenol Orange in 0.2M perchloric acid. Isolation procedures for the hafnium/zirconium content of complex high-temperature alloys which result in an ionic substrate compatible with the spectrophotometric masking method were devised.     

Separation of zirconium and hafnium from early actinides and rare earth elements with eichrom’s pb resin in HCl

The separation of zirconium and hafnium isotopes from the early actinides and rare earth elements (REE) with Eichrom’s Pb resin has been studied. Batch studies were performed to characterize the behavior of actinium, thorium, zirconium, hafnium, lutetium, and yttrium on Pb resin from HCl solutions (0.001 M to 11 M). The early actinides and REE had no affinity for the resin at any concentration of HCl, but zirconium and hafnium showed a moderate uptake at high concentrations of HCl with a maximum extraction at 11 M HCl. Several column separations were tested, including with only tracer isotopes and with mass. Rapid, simple separations of zirconium from actinium, thorium, protactinium, and the REE with high yields and low elution volumes are presented with applications for tracer isotope production and fission product separations. The resin is less suitable for hafnium separations as hafnium tends to bleed off the resin even at high concentrations of HCl.

     

The influence of dissociation on simultaneous determination of zirconium and hafnium with Xylenol Orange

The molar absorptivities of the zirconium and hafnium Xylenol Orange (1:1) complexes are said to be similar in the acidity range 0.1-2.0M HCl. However, the absorbances obtained for the zirconium-Xylenol Orange complex in the acidity range 0.5-2.0M HCl are much higher than those for the same concentrations of hafnium. The absorbance differences are generally due to the higher stability of the zirconium complex at such acidities. Calculations based on the conditional stability constants of these complexes show the influence of dissociation on the results of simultaneous determination of zirconium and hafnium with Xylenol Orange.     

Concentration, separation and determination of scandium, zirconium, hafnium and thorium with a silica-based sulphonic acid cation-exchanger

A study has been made of the dependence of the sorption of scandium, zirconium, hafnium and thorium from aqueous solutions with a silica-based sulphonic cation-exchanger (SCE-SiO(2)) on the concentration and nature of the acid medium, time of contact, concentration of the element, and the ionic strength. The selectivity decreases in the order Zr approximately Hf > Th > Sc > Fe(III). The sorption characteristics of silica gel and SCE-SiO(2) have been compared, and the sorption mechanism is discussed. The SCE-SiO(2) exchanger has been used for 100-fold concentration of scandium, zirconium, hafnium and thorium from their 10(-8)-10(-7) M solutions, and a spectrophotometric method has been developed for their determination with a detection limit of 0.5 ng/ml for Zr and Sc and 0.1 ng/ml for Hf and Th. Zirconium and hafnium have been determined in the solvent phase by X-ray fluorescence and atomic-emission methods.     

Analysis of niobium alloys

An ion-exchange method was applied to the analysis of synthetic mixtures representing various niobium-base alloys. The alloying elements which were separated and determined include vanadium, zirconium, hafnium, titanium, molybdenum, tungsten and tantalum. Mixtures containing zirconium or hafnium, tungsten, tantalum and niobium were separated by means of a single short column. Coupled columns were employed for the resolution of mixtures containing vanadium, zirconium or titanium, molybdenum, tungsten and niobium. The separation procedures and the methods employed for the determination of the alloying elements in their separate fractions are described.     

Structure of the hydrated, hydrolysed and solvated zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) ions in water and aprotic oxygen donor solvents. A crystallographic, EXAFS spectroscopic and large angle X-ray scattering study

The tetrameric hydrolysis products of zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV), the zirconyl(IV) and hafnyl(IV) ions, [M(4)(OH)(8)(OH(2))(16)(8+)], often labelled MO(2+).5H(2)O, are in principle the only zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) species present in aqueous solution without stabilising ligands and pH larger than zero. These complexes are furthermore kinetically very stable and do not become protonated even after refluxing in concentrated acid for at least a week. The structures of these complexes have been determined in both solid state and aqueous solution by means of crystallography, EXAFS and large angle X-ray scattering (LAXS). Each metal ion in the [M(4)(OH)(8)(OH(2))(16)](8+) complex binds four hydroxide ions in double hydroxo bridges, and four water molecules terminally. The M-O bond distance to the hydroxide ions are markedly shorter, ca. 0.12 A, than to the water molecules. The hydrated zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) ions only exist in extremely acidic aqueous solution due to their very strong tendency to hydrolyse. The structure of the hydrated zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) ions has been determined in concentrated aqueous perchloric acid by means of EXAFS, with both ions being eight-coordinated, most probably in square antiprismatic fashion, with mean Zr-O and Hf-O bond distances of 2.187(3) and 2.160(12) A, respectively. The dimethyl sulfoxide solvated zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) ions are square antiprismatic in both solid state and solution, with mean Zr-O and Hf-O bond distances of 2.193(1) and 2.181(6) A, respectively, in the solid state. Hafnium(IV) chloride does not dissociate in N,N'-dimethylpropyleneurea, dmpu, a solvent with good solvating properties but with a somewhat lower permittivity (epsilon= 36.1) than dimethyl sulfoxide (epsilon= 46.4), and an octahedral HfCl(4)(dmpu)(2) complex is formed.     

Behavior of zirconium and hafnium ions in ultramicroconcentrations investigated by horizontal zone electrophoresis in free electrolyte*

The electrophoresis of zirconium and hafnium ions in aqueous solutions was investigated. No-carrier-added ⁸⁸Zr and ¹⁷⁵Hf have been used in microconcentrations (10^-11M). The complexation of zirconium and hafnium with DTPA has been investigated in a large pH interval. The stability constants of the Zr-DTPA and Hf-DTPA complexes were determined for the first time by the method of horizontal zone electrophoresis in free electrolyte. The electrophoretic behavior of Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) ions in nitric acid solutions has also been studied.     

Chemical detection of zirconium and hafnium

Summary 3-Hydroxyflavone, morin and quercetin are suitable for the fluorescent detection of hafnium and zirconium under proper acidity and reagent concentration conditions. 3-Hydroxyflavone is the most sensitive reagent for both metals. Substantially acid solutions are preferred for the reactions of hafnium and zirconium to increase selectivity despite decreasing reaction sensitivity. The hydroxyflavone hafnium chelates are more stable to acid than the zirconium chelates especially with morin and quercetin. The very low background fluorescence of quercetin permits the detection of hafnium in strong perchloric acid where the fluorescence of the other two reagents hinders detection.

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Zusammenfassung 3-Hydroxyflavon(I), Morin(II) und Quercetin(III) eignen sich bei bestimmter Acidität und Reagenskonzentration zum Fluoreszenznachweis von Hafnium und Zirkonium. I ist das empfindlichste Reagens für beide Metalle. Deutlich saure Lösungen steigern die Selektivität der Reaktionen, setzen aber die Empfindlichkeit herab. Das Hafnium-I-Chelat ist gegenüber Säure stabiler als die Zirkoniumchelate, besonders von II und III. Die sehr geringe Untergrundfluoreszenz von III ermöglicht den Hafniumnachweis in starker Perchlorsäure, worin die Fluoreszenz der beiden anderen Reagenzien den Nachweis verhindert.

     

铪元素及其同位素的发现：技术进步和思想发展的共同结晶

1869年，门捷列夫在第一张元素周期表中的锆元素后留出原子量为180的元素位置，预测铪与锆同族。1913年，原子序数和莫斯莱定律的提出揭示了铪元素在周期表中位置排列的实质，为铪元素的发现提供理论基础。20世纪20年代，玻尔理论的发展证实铪与锆同族，指导科学家从锆矿石中寻找铪元素。1923年，赫维西和科斯特借助X射线光谱技术发现铪元素，彰显了X射线光谱技术的独特价值。20世纪30年代以后，同位素理论和质谱技术促成了铪同位素的发现，使人们对铪元素有了新的认识。总之，铪元素及其同位素的发现是技术进步和思想发展的共同结晶。     

Syntheses and X-ray crystal structures of zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) complexes containing monovacant wells-Dawson and Keggin polyoxotungstates

The syntheses and crystal structures of a series of zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) complexes with Dawson monovacant phosphotungstate [alpha2-P2W17O61](10-) and in situ-generated Keggin monovacant phosphotungstate [alpha-PW11O39](7-), which was obtained by a reaction of [alpha-PW12O40](3-) with Na2CO3, are described. K15H[Zr(alpha2-P2W17O61)2].25H2O (K-1), K16[Hf(alpha2-P2W17O61)2].19H2O (K-2), (Et2NH2)10[Zr(alpha-PW11O39)2].7H2O (Et2NH2-3), and (Et2NH2)10[Hf(alpha-PW11O39)2].2H2O (Et2NH2-4), being afforded by reactions in aqueous solutions of monolacunary Dawson and Keggin polyoxotungstates with ZrCl2O.8H2O and HfCl2O.8H2O followed by exchanging countercations, were obtained as analytically pure, homogeneous colorless crystals. Single-crystal X-ray structure analyses revealed that the Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) ions are in a square antiprismatic coordination environment with eight oxygen atoms, four of them being provided from each of the two monovacant polyanion ligands. Although the total molecular shapes and the 8-coordinate zirconium and hafnium centers of complexes 1-4 are identical, the bonding modes (bond lengths and bond angles) around the zirconium(IV) and hafnium(IV) centers were dependent on the monovacant structures of the polyanion ligands. Additionally, the characterization of complexes 1-4 was accomplished by elemental analysis, TG/DTA, FTIR, and solution (31P and 183W) NMR spectroscopy.