A silvery lustrous metallic transition element; a.n. 72; r.a.m. 178.49; r.d. 13.3; m.p. 2227±20°C; b.p. 4602°C. The element is found with zirconium and is extracted by formation of the chloride and reduction by the Kroll process. It is used in tungsten alloys in filaments and electrodes and as a neutron absorber. The metal forms a passive oxide layer in air. Most of its compounds are hafnium(IV) complexes; less stable hafnium(III) complexes also exist. The element was first reported by Urbain in 1911, and its existence was finally established by Dirk Coster (1889–1950) and George de Hevesey (1885–1966) in 1923.
https://www.webelements.com/hafnium/ Information from the WebElements site