Isotopes of hafnium

Isotope data

Hafnium isotopes have several applications. Hf-180 is used for the production of the radioisotope Hf-181 while Hf-180 is used for the production of the radioisotope Ta-179, which has a medical application. The second isomer of Hf-178 (Hf-178m2) exhibits a very high excitation energy and it has been suggested for use in gamma ray lasers. Hafnium isotopes can be obtained from Trace Sciences International.

Naturally occurring isotopes

This table shows information about naturally occuring isotopes, their atomic masses, their natural abundances, their nuclear spins, and their magnetic moments. Further data for radioisotopes (radioactive isotopes) of hafnium are listed (including any which occur naturally) below.
Isotope Atomic mass (ma/u) Natural abundance (atom %) Nuclear spin (I) Magnetic moment (μ/μN)
174Hf 173.940044 (4) 0.16 (1) 0
176Hf 175.941406 (4) 5.26 (7) 0
177Hf 176.943217 (3) 18.60 (9) 7/2 0.7936
178Hf 177.943696 (3) 27.28 (7) 0
179Hf 178.9458122 (29) 13.62 (2) 9/2 -0.6409
180Hf 179.9465457 (30) 35.08 (16) 0

Isotopic abundances of Hf
In the above picture, the most intense ion is set to 100% since this corresponds best to the output from a mass spectrometer. This is not to be confused with the relative percentage isotope abundances which total 100% for all the naturally occurring isotopes.

Radiosotope data

Further data for naturally occuring isotopes of hafnium are listed above. This table gives information about some radiosotopes of hafnium, their masses, their half-lives, their modes of decay, their nuclear spins, and their nuclear magnetic moments.
Isotope Mass Half-life Mode of decay Nuclear spin Nuclear magnetic moment
172Hf 171.93946 1.87 y EC to 172Lu 0
173Hf 172.9407 23.6 h EC to 173Lu 1/2
175Hf 174.941504 70 d EC to 175Lu 5/2 0.54
181Hf 180.949099 42.4 d β- to 181Ta 1/2
182Hf 181.95055 9 x 106 y β- to 182Ta 0

Sheffield ChemPuter isotope pattern calculator

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References

  1. Naturally occurring isotope abundances: Commission on Atomic Weights and Isotopic Abundances report for the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry in Isotopic Compositions of the Elements 1989, Pure and Applied Chemistry, 1998, 70, 217. [Copyright 1998 IUPAC]
  2. For further information about radioisotopes see Jonghwa Chang's (Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute) Table of the Nuclides
  3. Masses, nuclear spins, and magnetic moments: I. Mills, T. Cvitas, K. Homann, N. Kallay, and K. Kuchitsu in Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, 1988. [Copyright 1988 IUPAC]

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hafnium atomic number