Hafnium Facts (Atomic Number 72 or Hf)

Hafnium Facts (Atomic Number 72 or Hf) Hafnium is an element that was predicted by Mendeleev (of periodic table fame) before it was actually discovered. Here is a collection of fun and interesting facts about hafnium, as well as standard atomic data for the element: Hafnium Element Facts Fresh, pure hafnium is a metal with a bright, silvery luster. However, hafnium oxidizes to form a beautiful rainbow colored surface effect.Mendeleev predicted the existence of hafnium in a report he prepared in 1869. It was one of two non-radioactive elements believed to exist, but not verified. It was finally discovered in 1923 by Georg von Hevesy and Dirk Coster by using x-ray spectroscopy on a zirconium ore sample. The element name honors the city of its discovery (Hafnia is the old name for Copenhagen).As you might expect, hafnium is not found free in nature. Instead, it forms compounds and alloys. Because the two metals share similar occurrence and properties, hafnium is extremely difficult to separate from zirconium. Most hafnium metal has some degree of zirconium contamination. Although hafnium is found with ores (mainly zircon and baddeleyite), it is not as reactive as most transition metals.When hafnium is powdered, the increased surface area improves its reactivity. Powdere d hafnium readily ignites and may explode. Hafnium finds use as an alloying agent for iron, titanium, niobium, and tantalum. It is found in integrated circuits, vacuum tubes, and incandescent lamps. Hafnium is used in nuclear reactors, mainly as nuclear control rods because hafnium is an exceptionally powerful neutron absorber. This is one significant difference between hafnium and its sister element zirconium zirconium is essentially transparent to neutrons.Hafnium in its pure form is not particularly toxic, but it does represent a health hazard, particularly if inhaled. Hafnium compounds should be handled with care, as should any transition metal compound, because the ionic forms be dangerous. Only limited testing has been done on the effect of hafnium compounds in animals. All that is really known is that hafnium usually exhibits a valence of 4.Hafnium is found in the gemstones zircon and garnet. Hafnium in garnet may be used as a geochronometer, which means it can be used to date metamorphic geological events. Hafnium Atomic Data Element Name: Hafnium Hafnium Symbol: Hf Atomic Number: 72 Atomic Weight: 178.49 Element Classification: Transition Metal Electron Configuration: [Xe] 4f14 5d2 6s2 Discovery: Dirk Coster and Georg von Hevesy 1923 (Denmark) Name Origin: Hafnia, the Latin name of Copenhagen. Density (g/cc): 13.31 Melting Point (K): 2503 Boiling Point (K): 5470 Appearance: silvery, ductile metal Atomic Radius (pm): 167 Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 13.6 Covalent Radius (pm): 144 Ionic Radius: 78 (4e) Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 0.146 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): (25.1) Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 575 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.3 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 575.2 Oxidation States: 4 Lattice Structure: hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 3.200 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.582 Hafnium Fast Fasts Element Name: HafniumElement Symbol: HfAtomic Number: 72Appearance: Steel gray metalGroup: Group 4 (Transition Metal)Period: Period 6Discovery:Â  Dirk Coster and George de Hevesy (1922) Sources Hevesy, G. (1925). The Discovery and Properties of Hafnium. Chemical Reviews. 2: 1–41. doi:10.1021/cr60005a001Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. pp. 971–975. ISBN 0-08-037941-9.Lee, O. Ivan (1928). The Mineralogy of Hafnium. Chemical Reviews. 5: 17–37. doi:10.1021/cr60017a002Schemel, J. H. (1977). ASTM Manual on Zirconium and Hafnium. ASTM International. pp. 1–5. ISBN 978-0-8031-0505-8.Weast, Robert (1984). CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Boca Raton, Florida: Chemical Rubber Company Publishing. pp. E110. ISBN 0-8493-0464-4.

The Development of Banking in the Industrial Revolution

The Development of Banking in the Industrial Revolution As well as industry, banking also developed during the Industrial Revolution as the demands of entrepreneurs in industries like steam  led to a vast expansion of the financial system. Banking Before 1750 Before 1750, the traditional ‘start date’ for the Industrial revolution, paper money and commercial bills were used in England, but gold and silver were preferred for major transactions and copper for daily trading. There were three tiers of banks already in existence, but only in limited numbers. The first was the central Bank of England. This has been created in 1694 by William of Orange to fund wars and had become a foreign exchange storing foreign country’s gold. In 1708 it was given the monopoly on Joint Stock Banking (where there’s more than 1 shareholder) to try and make it more powerful, and other banks were limited in size and resources. Joint stock was declared illegal by the Bubble Act of 1720, a reaction to the great losses of the collapse of the South Sea Bubble. A second tier was provided by less than thirty Private Banks, which were few in number but growing, and their main customer was merchants and industrialists. Finally, you had the county banks which operated in a local area, e.g., just Bedford, but there were only twelve in 1760. By 1750 private banks were increasing in status and business, and some specialization was occurring geographically in London. The Role of Entrepreneurs in the Industrial Revolution Malthus called entrepreneurs the ‘shock troops’ of the industrial revolution. This group of individuals whose investment helped spread the revolution were based mainly in the Midlands, a center  for industrial growth. Most were middle class and well educated, and there were a substantial number of entrepreneurs from non-conformist religions like the Quakers. They have been characterized as feeling they had to be challenged, had to organize and succeed, although they ranged in size from major captains of industry to small-scale players. Many were after money, self-improvement, and success, and many were able to buy into the landowning elite with their profits. The entrepreneurs were capitalists, financiers, works managers, merchants, and salesmen, although their role changed as the business developed and the nature of enterprise evolved. The first half of the industrial revolution saw just one individual running the companies, but as time went on shareholders and joint stock companies emerged, and management had to change to cope with specialized positions. Sources of Finance As the revolution grew and more opportunities presented themselves, there was a demand for more capital. While technology costs were coming down, the infrastructure demands of large factories or canals and railways were high, and most industrial businesses needed funds to start up and get started. Entrepreneurs had several sources of finance. The domestic system, when it was still in operation, allowed for capital to be raised as it had no infrastructure costs and you could reduce or expand your workforce rapidly. Merchants provided some circulated capital, as did aristocrats, who had money from land and estates and were keen to make more money by assisting others. They could provide land, capital, and infrastructure. Banks could provide short-term loans, but have been accused of holding the industry back by the legislation on liability and joint-stock. Families could provide money, and were always a trusted source, as here the Quakers, who funded key entrepreneurs like the Darbys (who pushed forward Iron production.) The Development of the Banking System By 1800 private banks had increased in number to seventy, while county banks increased rapidly, doubling from 1775 to 1800. These were set up mainly by businessmen who wanted to add banking to their portfolios and satisfied a demand. During the Napoleonic Wars, the banks came under pressure from panicking customers making cash withdrawals, and the government stepped in to restrict withdrawals to just paper notes, no gold. By 1825 the depression which followed the wars had caused many banks to fail, leading to a financial panic. The government now repealed the Bubble Act and allowed joint-stock, but with unlimited liability. The Banking Act of 1826 restricted the issuing of notes- many banks had issued their own- and encouraged the formation of joint stock companies. In 1837 new laws gave joint-stock companies the ability to acquire limited liability, and in 1855 and 58 these laws were expanded, with banks and insurance now given limited liability which was a financial incentive for investment. By the end of the nineteenth century, many local banks had amalgamated to try and take advantage of the new legal situation. Why the Banking System Developed Long before 1750 Britain had a well-developed money economy with gold, copper, and notes. But several factors changed. The growth in wealth and business opportunities increased the need for both somewhere for money to be deposited, and a source of loans for buildings, equipment and- most crucially- circulating capital for everyday running. Specialist banks with knowledge of certain industries and areas thus grew up to take full advantage of this situation. Banks could also make a profit by keeping a cash reserve and lending out sums to gain interest, and there were many people interested in profits. Did Banks Fail Industry? In the US and Germany, industry used their banks heavily for long-term loans. Britons didn’t do this, and the system has been accused of failing industry as a result. However, America and Germany started at a higher level, and needed much more money than Britain where banks weren’t required for long-term loans, but instead for short-term ones to cover small shortfalls. British entrepreneurs were skeptical of banks and often preferred older methods of finance for start-up costs. Banks evolved along with British industry and were only a part of the funding, whereas America and Germany were diving into industrialization at a much more evolved level.