Hafnium Is Essential to Aerospace Superalloys & Microchips

Mining the metals of the future Hafnium is essential to aerospace superalloys & microchips

Aerospace applications NASA re-entry modules Hafnium’s stability Superalloys for jet engines and strength at Hafnium diboride (HfB2) high temperatures Hafnium is considered is used for ultra high- in both metallic irreplaceable in the MAR M temperature ceramics or and compound 247 superalloy, used in the coatings for components form makes it hot part of jet engines in NASA atmospheric ideal for several (turbine blades and vanes). re-entry modules. aerospace applications

Industrial applications Hafnium and its Industrial gas turbines Plasma cutting tips compounds are Hafnium-containing Hafnium is used in not limited to plasma cutting tips and high-temperature superalloys are used in the larger cast parts of welding torches due to aerospace its high melting point and applications, turbines for electricity generation. ability to shift electrons but are used in into the air. industry as well

Optoelectronics Having fantastic electrical insulation Integrated circuits Optical Coatings and high-index/low Using hafnium oxide to Thin deposits of hafnium optical absorption replace silicon dioxide oxide provide hard, properties, gate insulators has scratch-free coatings for hafnium oxide allowed a significant leap applications such as has many forward in the quest to near-UV laser applications in the shrink computer chips anti-reflective and optoelectronics and improve efficiency. dielectric mirror designs. industry.

Unleashing hafnium’s Thermal reflector potential New cancer treatments Prototypes of thin lamellar Researchers composites of hafnium across the globe Use of hafnium oxide oxide, silicon dioxide and are exploring a nanoparticles in radiation silver are being developed raft of potential oncology to destroy cancer to reflect sunlight back applications for cells is being explored. into space to assist with air this relatively conditioning buildings. unexploited element.

www.alkane.com.au Mining the metals of the future Hafnium

What is it?

Hafnium is a lustrous grey metal that lends unique properties to certain high-temperature superalloys used in the aerospace industry, allowing them to maintain high strength and stability when operating at very high temperatures. Hafnium also has increasing use in oxide form as an electrical insulator in the microelectronics industry. Chemically resembling zirconium, hafnium is always found in zirconium minerals, from which it needs to be extracted using advanced metallurgical processing. It is usually traded as hafnium metal in ‘crystal bar’ form, or as hafnium oxide (HfO2) or hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl4). Image: http://images-of-elements.com/hafnium-2.jpg

Dubbo Zirconia Project World production

At the Dubbo Zirconia Project (DZP), the source of To date, most of the world’s hafnium metal has hafnium is a hydrous zirconium silicate mineral (not been produced as a by-product of the nuclear zircon) containing hafnium oxide within the orebody. industry, which requires hafnium-free zirconium. To produce high-purity zirconium materials, the The two main producers are in France and the DZP is developing the process to separate hafnium USA (accounting for ~75% of the market). However, from zirconium. At a planned ore processing rate demand for hafnium is starting to outstrip of one million tonnes per annum and a hafnium production. An estimated 50-60t of hafnium will be recovery rate of 50%, the DZP could produce up produced in 2015. Demand, meanwhile, is expected to 200tpa of hafnium in the form of hafnium oxide. to be 70-80t and is on the rise, particularly for use This is more than triple the current world hafnium in high-temperature superalloys. supply - without reliance to the nuclear industry.

75% of hafnium metal is produced in France Demand for hafnium is outstripping production, and the USA as a by-product of zirconium metal with an increasing volume used in high- manufacture. temperature superalloys.

Hafnium Supply Hafnium Demand 4t 5t 1t 2015 Estimated 5t 2015 Estimated 3t 50 - 60 tonnes 70 - 80 tonnes 2t 5.5t 25t AREVA Superalloy ATI 8t 40t Hf Oxide for Optical China Nuclear 20t Westinghouse 10t Plasma Cutting Tips Others CVD / Targets Scrap Other