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Hafnium vs Thorium


Thorium vs Hafnium


Periodic Table

Symbol
Hf   
Th   

Group Number
4   
14
0   
18

Period Number
6   
7   

Block
d block   
f block   

Element Family
Transition Metal   
Actinide   

CAS Number
7440586   
30
7440326   
99+

Space Group Name
P63/mmc   
P63/mmc   

Space Group Number
194.00   
5
194.00   
5

Facts

Interesting Facts
  • Hafnium metal is highly reactive, hence not found free in nature.
  • Hafnium metal as predicated after Mendeleev finished his periodic table.
  
  • Thorium metal is used as an alternate option over Uranium for nuclear fuel.
  • Thorium metals appearance (silvery white, soft) is somewhat similar to Lead metal.
  

Sources
By-product Zirconium Refining   
Found in Minerals, Mining   

History
  
  

Who Discovered
Dirk Coster and George de Hevesy   
Jöns Jakob Berzelius   

Discovery
In 1922   
In 1829   

Abundance
  
  

Abundance In Universe
7 * 10-8 %   
25
3 * 10-4 %   
9

Abundance In Sun
~0.0000001 %   
26
~0.0004 %   
9

Abundance In Meteorites
0.00 %   
37
0.05 %   
11

Abundance In Earth's Crust
0.00 %   
31
0.66 %   
7

Abundance In Oceans
0.00 %   
27
0.00 %   
15

Uses

Uses & Benefits
  • It has an ability to absorb neutrons and hence it is used to make control rods in nuclear submarines. And this metal is also used in Plasma welding torches.
  • It alloys with iron, titanium and niobium are very useful.
  
  • Thorium metal is used as an allying agent for Magnesium, It imparts greater strength and resistance to temperature.
  • compound of this metal Thorium oxide is used as an industrial catalyst.
  

Industrial Uses
Ammunition Industry   
Aerospace Industry, Automobile Industry, Chemical Industry, Electrical Industry, Electronic Industry   

Medical Uses
NA   
Dentistry, Surgical Instruments Manufacturing   

Other Uses
Alloys, In Nuclear Reactors, Nuclear Research, Research Purposes   
Alloys, Jewellery, Sculptures, Statues   

Biological Properties
  
  

Toxicity
Toxic   
Non Toxic   

Present in Human Body
No   
Yes   

In Blood
Not Available   
0.00 Blood/mg dm-3   
33

In Bone
Not Available   
0.02 p.p.m.   
29

Physical Properties

Melting Point
2,150.00 °C   
10
1,750.00 °C   
17

Boiling Point
5,400.00 °C   
5
4,790.00 °C   
8

Appearance
  
  

Physical State
Solid   
Solid   

Color
Gray   
Silver   

Luster
Metallic   
NA   

Hardness
  
  

Mohs Hardness
5.50   
7
3.00   
12

Brinell Hardness
1,450.00 MPa   
6
390.00 MPa   
29

Vickers Hardness
1,520.00 MPa   
5
295.00 MPa   
29

Speed of Sound
3,010.00 m/s   
27
2,490.00 m/s   
36

Optical Properties
  
  

Allotropes
No   
No   

α Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

β Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

γ Allotropes
Not Available   
Not Available   

Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula
Hf   
Th   

Isotopes
  
  

Known Isotopes
32   
7
28   
11

Electronegativity
  
  

Pauling Electronegativity
1.30   
32
1.30   
32

Allred Rochow Electronegativity
1.23   
25
1.11   
29

Allen Electronegativity
1.16   
37
Not Available   

Electropositivity
  
  

Pauling Electropositivity
2.70   
22
2.70   
22

Ionization Energies
  
  

1st Energy Level
658.50 kJ/mol   
40
587.00 kJ/mol   
99+

2nd Energy Level
1,440.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,110.00 kJ/mol   
99+

3rd Energy Level
2,250.00 kJ/mol   
99+
1,978.00 kJ/mol   
99+

4th Energy Level
3,216.00 kJ/mol   
99+
2,780.00 kJ/mol   
99+

Electrochemical Equivalent
1.66 g/amp-hr   
99+
2.16 g/amp-hr   
24

Electron Work Function
3.90 eV   
27
3.41 eV   
32

Other Chemical Properties
Anti Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Solubility   
Corrosion, Ionization, Radioactive Isotopes, Radioactivity   

Atomic Properties

Atomic Number
72   
99+
90   
28

Electron Configuration
[Xe] 4f14 5d2 6s2   
[Rn] 6d2 7s2   

Crystal Structure
Hexagonal Close Packed (HCP)   
Face Centered Cubic (FCC)   

Crystal Lattice
BCC-Crystal-Structure-.jpg#100   
FCC-Crystal-Structure-of-Thorium.jpg#100   

Atom
  
  

Number of Protons
72   
99+
90   
28

Number of Neutrons
106   
29
142   
15

Number of Electrons
72   
99+
90   
28

Radius of an Atom
  
  

Atomic Radius
159.00 pm   
28
179.80 pm   
15

Covalent Radius
175.00 pm   
23
206.00 pm   
7

Van der Waals Radius
200.00 pm   
28
237.00 pm   
15

Atomic Weight
178.49 amu   
39
232.04 amu   
23

Atomic Volume
13.60 cm3/mol   
38
19.90 cm3/mol   
20

Adjacent Atomic Numbers
  
  

Previous Element
Lutetium
  
Actinium
  

Next Element
Tantalum
  

Valence Electron Potential
81.00 (-eV)   
16
59.30 (-eV)   
23

Lattice Constant
319.64 pm   
99+
508.42 pm   
14

Lattice Angles
π/2, π/2, 2 π/3   
π/2, π/2, π/2   

Lattice C/A Ratio
1.58   
12
Not Available   

Mechanical Properties

Density
  
  

Density At Room Temperature
13.31 g/cm3   
26
11.72 g/cm3   
32

Density When Liquid (at m.p.)
12.00 g/cm3   
12
Not Available   

Tensile Strength
445.00 MPa   
8
Not Available   

Viscosity
Not Available   
Not Available   

Vapor Pressure
  
  

Vapor Pressure at 2000 K
0.00 (Pa)   
24
0.00 (Pa)   
22

Elasticity properties
  
  

Shear Modulus
30.00 GPa   
23
31.00 GPa   
21

Bulk Modulus
110.00 GPa   
15
54.00 GPa   
22

Young's Modulus
78.00 GPa   
25
79.00 GPa   
24

Poisson Ratio
0.37   
7
0.27   
20

Other Mechanical Properties
Ductile, Malleable   
Ductile   

Magnetic Properties

Magnetic Characteristics
  
  

Specific Gravity
13.31   
18
11.70   
23

Magnetic Ordering
Paramagnetic   
Paramagnetic   

Electrical Properties
  
  

Electrical Property
Conductor   
Superconductor   

Resistivity
331.00 nΩ·m   
14
157.00 nΩ·m   
22

Electrical Conductivity
0.03 106/cm Ω   
39
0.07 106/cm Ω   
31

Electron Affinity
0.00 kJ/mol   
40
Not Available   

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat
0.14 J/(kg K)   
37
0.12 J/(kg K)   
40

Molar Heat Capacity
25.73 J/mol·K   
36
26.23 J/mol·K   
30

Thermal Conductivity
23.00 W/m·K   
99+
54.00 W/m·K   
28

Critical Temperature
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Expansion
5.90 µm/(m·K)   
99+
11.00 µm/(m·K)   
36

Enthalpy
  
  

Enthalpy of Vaporization
661.10 kJ/mol   
5
429.00 kJ/mol   
15

Enthalpy of Fusion
25.10 kJ/mol   
8
15.48 kJ/mol   
19

Enthalpy of Atomization
703.00 kJ/mol   
5
468.60 kJ/mol   
15

Standard Molar Entropy
43.60 J/mol.K   
34
27.30 J/mol.K   
99+

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