Nuclear Grade Hafnium vs. Type 1 Niobium

Both nuclear grade hafnium and Type 1 niobium are otherwise unclassified metals. Both are furnished in the annealed condition. There are 17 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (4, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is nuclear grade hafnium and the bottom bar is Type 1 niobium.

Nuclear Grade (Grade R1) Hafnium Type 1 (Unalloyed Reactor Grade, R04200) Niobium

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		78
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		110

Elongation at Break, %		25
Elongation at Break, %		29

Poisson's Ratio		0.26
Poisson's Ratio		0.4

Shear Modulus, GPa		31
Shear Modulus, GPa		38

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		350
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		140

Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa		170
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof), MPa		82

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		130
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		320

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		140
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		270

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		5.9
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		7.3

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Density, g/cm³		13
Density, g/cm³		8.6

Common Calculations

Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m³		73
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work), MJ/m³		35

Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m³		180
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience), kJ/m³		32

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		3.3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		6.8

Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		11
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		18

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		7.4
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		4.6

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		8.4
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		7.1

Thermal Shock Resistance, points		55
Thermal Shock Resistance, points		13

Alloy Composition

Carbon (C), %		0
Carbon (C), %		0 to 0.010

Hafnium (Hf), %		99.8 to 100
Hafnium (Hf), %		0 to 0.020

Hydrogen (H), %		0
Hydrogen (H), %		0 to 0.0015

Iron (Fe), %		0
Iron (Fe), %		0 to 0.0050

Molybdenum (Mo), %		0
Molybdenum (Mo), %		0 to 0.010

Nickel (Ni), %		0
Nickel (Ni), %		0 to 0.0050

Niobium (Nb), %		0
Niobium (Nb), %		99.7 to 100

Nitrogen (N), %		0
Nitrogen (N), %		0 to 0.010

Oxygen (O), %		0
Oxygen (O), %		0 to 0.015

Silicon (Si), %		0
Silicon (Si), %		0 to 0.0050

Tantalum (Ta), %		0
Tantalum (Ta), %		0 to 0.1

Titanium (Ti), %		0
Titanium (Ti), %		0 to 0.020

Tungsten (W), %		0
Tungsten (W), %		0 to 0.030

Zirconium (Zr), %		0
Zirconium (Zr), %		0 to 0.020

Residuals, %		0 to 0.23
Residuals, %		0