Hafnium, elemental hydride

Analytical Chemistry of the Transition Elements Coordination Numbers Geometries Coordination Organometallic Chemistry Principles Hydride Complexes of the Transition Metals Oxide Catalysts in Sohd-state Chemistry Periodic Table Trends in the Properties of the Elements Sol Gel Synthesis of Solids Structure Property Maps for Inorganic Solids Titanium Inorganic Coordination Chemistry Zirconium Hafnium Organometallic Chemistry. 

The major use for zirconium is in the nuclear industry. Zirconium alloys (zircaloys) are used extensively as a cladding for nuclear (uranium oxide) fuel rods in water cooled reactors. Zircaloys were favoured over stainless steel cladding because they had a considerably lower neutron cross-section, appropriate thermal conductivity and both corrosion and mechanical resistance. As indicated, hafnium is an impurity in nearly all zirconium ores. Hafnium, however, has a much higher neutron cross-section than zirconium and, as such, the two elements must be separated prior to using zirconium in fuel rod cladding. For many years the separation was very difficult due to the chemical similarity of the two elements. Zirconium hydride is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors. 

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