Cross-sections for formation of <Superscript>178m2</Superscript>Hf and <Superscript>179m2</Superscript>Hf through reactions on natural hafnium at neutron energy 14.8 ± 0.2 MeV

The cross sections for formation of metastable state of ¹⁷⁸Hf (^178m2Hf, 574.215 keV, 31 y) and ¹⁷⁹Hf (^179m2Hf, 362.55 keV, 25.05 d) through reactions induced by 14.8 ± 0.2 MeV neutrons on natural hafnium were measured for the first time. The monoenergetic neutron beam was produced via the ³H(d, n)⁴He reaction on ZF-300-II Intense Neutron Generator at Lanzhou University. Induced gamma activities were measured by a gamma-ray spectrometer with high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector. Measurements were corrected for gamma-ray attenuations, random coincidence (pile-up), dead time and fluctuation of neutron flux. The neutron fluence were determined by the cross section of ⁹³Nb(n, 2n)^92mNb reaction. The neutron energy in the measurement were by the cross section ratios of ⁹⁰Zr(n, 2n)^89m+gZr and ⁹³Nb(n, 2n)^92mNb reactions.     

Determination of hafnium in zircaloy clad by means of INAA

Three reactions are described for the analysis of small concentration of Hf in zircaloy clads used for BWR and PWR reactor. One of the measurements is based on the measurement of short-lived^179mHf /18.7 sec/. The method is fast, selective, highly sensitive, non-destructive and has a detection limit of 1.3 ng for Hf.     

Dosage de traces d'hafnium dans l'aluminium par activation neutronique

Three methods are proposed for the assay of traces of hafnium in aluminium metal by neutron activation analysis. In the first method, the isotope ^179mHf (T = 19 s), produced is counted after anionic resin exchange-separation in sulfuric acid medium. The two other methods, which are non-destructive, are based on the formation of ^180mHf (T = 5,5 h) and ^179mHf (T = 19 s). The latter method comprises an instrumental separation.     

Dosage non destructif de l’hafnium par activation neutronique et spectrometrie γ de179mHf et de178mHf (periodes respectives: 19.0 et 4.8 s)

A non-destructive method for the determination of hafnium in zirconium and various alloys, based on the formation of^178mHf and^179mHf, is proposed. For a neutron flux of 10⁹ n _th ·cm⁻²·sec⁻¹, the limit of determination is about 0.5 μg. This limit can fall to 50 ng with the multiple irradiation runs system (ten runs at 92-second cycles). The simple determination is complete within 15 minutes, whereas the multiple irradiation runs method requires about 15 minutes longer time.      

Thermal expansion and heat capacity of dysprosium hafnate

Dysprosium hafnate is a candidate material for as control rods in nuclear reactor because dysprosium (Dy) and hafnium (Hf) have very high absorption cross-sections for neutrons. Dysprosium hafnate (Dy₂O₃·2HfO₂-fluorite phase solid solution) was prepared by solid-state as well as wet chemical routes. The fluorite phase of the compound was characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thermal expansion characteristics were studied using high temperature X-ray diffraction (HTXRD) in the temperature range 298–1973 K. Heat capacity measurements of dysprosium hafnate were carried out using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in the temperature range 298–800 K. The room temperature lattice parameter and the coefficient of thermal expansion are 0.5194 nm and 7.69 × 10⁻⁶ K⁻¹, respectively. The heat capacity value at 298 K is 232 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹.     

Precise simultaneous determination of zirconium and hafnium in silicate rocks,meteorites and lunar samples

A precise, sensitive and rapid analytical technique has been developed for the simultaneous determination of Zr and Hf in natural silicate matrices. The technique is based on radiochemical neutron activation analysis and employs a rapid fusion dissolution of the sample and simultaneous precipitation of the Zr−Hf pair with p-hydroxybenzene arsonic acid in an acidic medium. The indicator radionuclides,⁹⁵Zr and¹⁸¹Hf, are counted with a pair of high resolution Ge(Li) detectors and the⁹⁵Zr activity is corrected for the contribution from U fission. The chemical yields of the radiochemical separation are based on Hf carrier, which quantitatively carries both Zr and Hf. The yield is determined by reactivation of the processed samples and standards with a²⁵²Cf isotopic neutron source and by counting the 18.6 sec half-life^179mHf. The sensitivity, precision and accuracy of the procedure are demonstrated by replicate analyses of several standard rocks, meteorites and lunar samples which exhibit a wide range of Zr and Hf abundances.     

Thermal properties of hafnium(IV) and zirconium(IV) β-diketonates

Five volatile hafnium(IV) and zirconium(IV) β-diketonates: hafnium(IV) acetylacetonate, hafnium(IV) trifluoroacetylacetonate, hafnium(IV) pivaloyltrifluoroacetonate, hafnium(IV) 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate and zirconium(IV) 2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dionate were obtained, purified and identified. Thermal behavior of solid compounds was investigated by thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) in helium atmosphere and in vacuum. DSC method was also used for definition of thermodynamic characteristics of melting processes. Using the static method with quartz membrane zero-manometer and the flow method the temperature dependencies of saturated vapor pressure for hafnium(IV) complexes was obtained. The standard thermodynamic characteristics ΔH _T⁰ and ΔS _T⁰ of sublimation and evaporation processes were calculated from the temperature dependences of saturated vapor pressure.     

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.     

Thermal Decomposition of bis(cyclopentadienyl)hafnium compounds and their deuterated analogues

Thermal decomposition ranges of Cp₂HfR_, (R = Me, Ph) have been found by the DTA method. The thermal stability of hafnium derivatives greatly exceeds the stability of analogous titanium and zirconium compounds. Decomposition of Cp₂HfR₂ occurs by abstraction of σ-bonded groups which convert into RH. Hydrogen donors for the RH formation are both π-cyclopentadienyl and σ-bonded groups. The initial π-Cp₂Hf structure rearranges to form the (η⁵-Cp)-(η⁵,η¹-C₅H₄)Hf fragment. These react with HCl to produce Cp₂HfCl₂. It has been established that hydrogen exchange between cyclopentadienyl rings and methyl groups occurs during the thermal decomposition of Cp₂HfMe₂. As a result of the exchange process on thermal decomposition of Cp₂HfMe₂-d6, deuterium insertion into the cyclopentadienyl ring has been shown. The participation of solvent during the decomposition process of the hafnium derivatives has been studied.     

Recovery of hafnium radioisotopes from a proton irradiated tantalum target

The^178m2Hf nucleus, with its long half-life (31 y) and high-spin isomeric state (16⁺) is desired for new and exotic nuclear physics studies. The Los Alamos Radioisotope Program irradiated a kilogram of natural tantalum at the Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility in early 1981. After fifteen years of decay, this target was ideal for the recovery of^178m2Hf. There was more than a millicurie of^178m2Hf produced during this irradiation and there has been a sufficient period of time for most of the other hafnium radioisotopes to decayed away. Traditionally, separation techniques for recovering hafnium isotopes from tantalum targets employ solvent extractions with reagents that are considered hazardous. These techniques are no longer condoned because they generate a mixed-waste (radioactive and hazardous components) that can not be treated for disposal. In this paper we describe a new and unique procedure for the recovery of hafnium radioisotopes from a highly radioactive, proton irradiated, tantalum target using reagents that do not contribute a hazardous waste component.     

Evaluation of stray neutron distribution in medical cyclotron vault room by neutron activation analysis approach

Stray neutron distribution in a medical cyclotron vault room was evaluated by neutron activation analysis (NAA). Neutrons were generated in the production of radioactive nuclides, such as ¹⁸F, ¹¹C, ¹³N and ¹⁵O, for diagnostic usage. Indium foil was adopted to evaluate the stray fast and thermal neutron intensity based on ¹¹⁵In(n_f, n′)^115mIn and ¹¹⁵In(n_th, γ)^116m1In reactions, respectively. The indium foils were weighed, sealed and placed at 62 points around the 6.7×8.2 m² cyclotron room. Additionally, each indium foil was exposed for over 80 minutes during cyclotron operation and γ-peaks were analyzed using an HPGe detector to evaluate the number of stray fast (Φ _f) or thermal (Φ _th) neutrons. The minimum to maximum numbers of fast and thermal neutrons were (3.47±0.11)×10³ to (1.06±0.21)×10⁴ n·cm⁻²·s⁻¹ and 9 to 965 n·cm⁻²·s⁻¹, respectively. The minimum detectable limit for stray neutrons was included herein to demonstrate the reliability. Accordingly, 60 and two points, respectively, the confidence level associated with the reported intensities of fast and thermal neutrons reached 95%. The low qualified ratio in the evaluation of stray thermal neutrons might have been caused by either the high Compton scattering plateau or the low intensity of the gamma-ray peak in the relevant spectrum.     

Collision energy dependence of He and Ne capture by C 60 +

The hyperfine structure and the isotope shifts in the optical transition of HfI with λ=5903 Å have been investigated using high resolution laser spectroscopy. The magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole hyperfine splitting constants of the lower 5d ² 6s ² a ³ F ₃ and upper 5d ² 6s 6p z ⁵ G ₃ ⁰ levels have been determined for the two stable odd hafnium isotopes¹⁷⁷Hf and¹⁷⁹Hf.     

Chelatbildende Austauscherharze,VII

Preparation and use of a resin with 1.8-dihydroxynaphthalene-O,O-diacetic acid as chelating group are described. Besides the separation of many of the common interfering ions it also permits the separation of Hf. The following ions could be separated quantitatively: Mg(II), Pb(II), Cu(II), Fe(III), La(III), Ce(IV), Th(IV), Ti(IV), and U(VI). During these and further qualitative and quantitative experiments no interfering ions could be found. A method for the separation of⁹⁵Zr from its daughter nuclide⁹⁵Nb is also described. The main problem proved to be the separation of Zr(IV) and Hf(IV), owing to their close resemblance. To accomplish quantitative determination of Zr and Hf without any separation,⁹⁵Zr and^175+181Hf radioisotopes were used. The chelating resin permits the separation of 95% of Hf(IV) from an equimolar solution. The main part of Hf(IV) is eluated by 2M hydrochloric acid, and subsequently Zr(IV) by 0.75M oxalic acid. The rest of Hf is enriched in the first fractions of the oxalic acid eluate, so that when eliminating these, even after a single step experiment hafnium free from zirconium and a rather pure fraction of zirconium are obtained. Even under extreme conditions of concentration (Zr∶Hf=91∶1) 75% of Hf can be separated free from Zr in a single step experiment.

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Vorgetragen auf der IUPAC-Tagung in Prag, 1967.     

Rare-earth elemental analysis of banded iron-formations by instrumental neutron activation analysis

Representative banded iron-formations (BIFs) from various locations of the eastern Indian geological belt were investigated by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). After pre-concentration, irradiation was carried out using a neutron flux of 5.1·10¹⁶ m⁻²·s⁻¹, 1.0·10¹⁵ m⁻²·s⁻¹ and 3.7·10¹⁵ m⁻²s⁻¹, with thermal, epi-thermal and fast neutrons, respectively. The activities in these samples were measured by a HPGe detector. Ten rare-earth elements, such as La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Ho, Tm, Yb and Lu, have been qualitatively identified and quantitatively estimated in these samples. The present investigation is an example of employing a pre-concentration method for high iron-containing ores prior to neutron activation analysis.     

Anticoincidence counting further improves detection limits of short-lived products by pseudo-cyclic instrumental neutron activation analysis

A systematic investigation was carried out on the merits and limitations of anticoincidence counting for short-lived radionuclides (t _1/2 < 75 s) used in instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and pseudo-cyclic INAA (PC-INAA) methods for single as well as simultaneous multielement determinations in botanical and nutritional reference materials. The list of radionuclides of interest included: ¹⁰⁸Ag, ¹¹⁰Ag, ^165mDy, ²⁰F, ^75mGe, ^179mHf, ^86mRb, ^46mSc, ^77mSe, and ^177mYb. Precision and accuracy of measurements were good, and detection limits were of the order of µg kg^?1.     

A study of separation methods of 178m2Hf from irradiated ytterbium targets

The source material for the study of X-ray induced γ emission,^178m2Hf was obtained as Hf(OH)₄ by a variety of separation methods, such as precipitation, solvent extraction and ion exchange chromatography to isolate ^178m2Hf from an ytterbium target with a copper substrate, after irradiation in a cyclotron with α particles. The target was prepared by vacuum filtration technology. The overall chemical yield and decontamination factors of this separation process were measured with radioactive tracers. The results show that the chemical yield of the whole process is about 69 % for hafnium and the decontamination factor is very good for ⁶⁵Zn (~10⁵) and good for ¹⁷³Lu (~10³).     

Edge-shared [M2Cl10]2? complexes of reaction between oxophilic group 4 metal and phosphorus ylides

The reactions between oxophilic group 4 metal chlorides, ??-keto ylides in THF, led to the formation of titanium, zirconium and hafnium edge-shared [M₂Cl₁₀]^2? complexes (1a?C3f). We describe that the reaction between MCl₄ (M = Ti, Zr and Hf) with phosphorus ylides produce edge-shared [M₂X₁₀]^2? complexes instead of O-coordination previously reported complexes. Adding dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to these complexes in room temperature crystalline solid [M(DMSO)₈] · 4Cl · mH₂O · DMSO] (M = Ti (1g), Zr (2g) and Hf (3g); m = 0?C3) together with phosphonium salts in mother liquid were formed. The compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹H, ¹³C and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy.     

Methode de mesure de la periode d'un corps radioactif de courte vie application au179m Hf et au46m Sc

The decay curve of short-lived radioisotopes (T<1 min), if registered by a multichannel analyzer in multiscaler mode, does not remain exponential when the counting rate increases. A method for adjusting experimental values by the maximum of likelihood function is proposed. It includes the determination of initial dead-time fraction. The half-lives of^179m Hf and^46m Sc determined by the present method show a good concordance with table data, for initial dead time fractions as high as 80%.      

Separation of hafnium from tungsten by extraction chromatography with TOA in HCl–H<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>2</Subscript> mixture

In order to measure ¹⁸²Hf by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), a chemical procedure for separation of hafnium from tungsten has been developed by extraction chromatography. The extraction chromatographic behavior of hafnium and tungsten has been studied using tri-n-octylamine (TOA) as the stationary phase, HCl–H₂O₂ mixture and NH₃·H₂O as the mobile phase. The effects of H₂O₂ concentration, column loading and column dimensions are investigated. Hf and W with microgram amounts are successfully separated on a chromatographic column (Ø5 × 196 mm), on which Hf is hardly retained after completely eluted with 6 M HCl–1% H₂O₂ and W strongly adsorbed is then eluted with 3 M NH₃·H₂O. The decontamination factor for tungsten is 3.0 × 10⁵ and the recovery of hafnium is better than 99% using a single column separation.     

Flotation separation of hafnium(IV) from aqueous solutions

A simple, rapid method for the separation of hafnium from aqueous solutions has been investigated using^(175+181)Hf tracer. Cationic hafnium complex ions were floated from dilute acid solutions with sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and anionic hafnium complexes were floated from basic and oxalic acid solutions with hexadecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (HTMAB). The conditions necessary for quantitative recovery of the metal and mechanisms of flotation are described.Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.