Impenetrable metal. The hardest metals in the world. Main characteristics of titanium
There are many metals in the world that are identical in terms of hardness, but not all of them are widely used in industry. There may be several reasons for this: rarity and therefore high cost, or radioactivity, which prevents its use for human needs. Among the hardest metals, there are 6 leaders who conquered the world with their characteristics.
The hardness of metals is usually measured on the Mohs scale. The method of measuring hardness is based on the assessment of resistance to scratches by other metals. Thus, it was determined that uranium and tungsten have the highest hardness. However, there are metals that are more used in various spheres of life, although their hardness is not the highest on the Mohs scale. Therefore, when revealing the topic of the hardest metals, it would be wrong not to mention the famous titanium, chromium, osmium and iridium.
When asked what is the hardest metal, any person studying chemistry and physics at school will answer: "Titanium". Of course, there are alloys and even nuggets in pure form that surpass it in strength. But titanium has no equal among those used in everyday life and production.
Pure titanium was first obtained in 1925 and at the same time was declared the hardest metal on Earth. It immediately began to be actively used in completely different areas of production - from parts of missiles and air transport to dental implants. Several of its main properties have become the merit of such popularity of the metal: high mechanical strength, resistance to corrosion and high temperatures, and low density. On the Mohs scale of hardness of metals, titanium has a grade of 4.5, which is not the highest indicator. However, its popularity and involvement in various industries makes it the first hardest among the frequently used ones.
Titanium is the hardest metal commonly used in manufacturing
More details about the use of titanium in industry. This metal has wide range use:
- Aviation industry - details of the glider part of aircraft, gas turbines, plating, load-bearing elements, chassis parts, rivets, etc .;
- Space technology - plating, details;
- Shipbuilding - ship cladding, pump and pipeline parts, navigation instruments, turbine engines, steam boilers;
- Mechanical engineering - turbine condensers, pipes, wear-resistant elements;
- Oil and gas industry - pipes for drilling, pumps, pressure vessels;
- Automotive industry - in the mechanisms of valves and exhaust systems, transmission shafts, bolts, springs;
- Construction - exterior and interior cladding of buildings, roofing materials, light fixtures and even monuments;
- Medicine - surgical instruments, prostheses, implants, housings for cardiological devices;
- Sports - sports equipment, travel accessories, bicycle parts.
- Goods popular consumption – jewelry, decorative items, garden tools, wrist Watch, kitchen utensils, electronics housings and even bells, and are also added to paints, white, plastic and paper.
You can see that titanium is in demand in completely different industries due to its physical and chemical properties. Even though it is not the hardest metal in the world on the Mohs scale, products made from it are much stronger and lighter than steel, wear less and are more resistant to irritants.
Titanium is considered the hardest of the actively consumed metals.
The hardest metal in its natural form is considered to be a bluish-white metal - chrome. It was discovered back in the late 18th century and has been widely used in production ever since. On the Mohs scale, the hardness of chromium is 5. And for good reason - they can cut glass, and when combined with iron, it can even cut metal. Chromium is also actively used in metallurgy - it is added to steel to improve it physical properties... The range of uses for chromium is very diverse. It is used to make barrels of firearms, medical and chemical processing equipment, household utensils - kitchen utensils, metal pieces of furniture and even hulls of submarines.
Highest pure hardness - chrome
Chromium is used in different areas, for example, for the production of stainless steel, or for surface coating - chrome plating (appliances, cars, parts, dishes). This metal is often used in the manufacture of firearm barrels. Also, this metal can often be found in the production of dyes and pigments. Another area of \u200b\u200bits use may seem surprising - it is the production of dietary supplements, and in creating technological equipment for chemical and medical laboratories, chromium is indispensable.
Osmium and iridium - representatives of the platinum group metals, have almost the same density. In their pure form in nature, they are incredibly rare, and most often - in alloy with each other. Iridium, by its nature, has a high hardness, which makes it difficult to metal work, both mechanical and chemical.
Osmium and Iridium have the highest density
It is relatively recently that iridium has been actively used in industry. Previously, it was used with caution, since its physicochemical characteristics were not fully understood. Now iridium is even used in jewelry making (as inlays or in alloy with platinum), surgical instruments and parts for heart stimulants. In medicine, the metal is simply irreplaceable: its biological products can help to overcome oncology, and its irradiation with a radioactive isotope can stop the growth of cancer cells.
Two-thirds of the iridium mined in the world goes to the chemical industry, and the rest is distributed among other industries - spraying in the metallurgical industry, consumer goods (fountain pen elements, jewelry), medicine in the production of electrodes, elements of pacemakers and surgical instruments, as well as for improvement of physicochemical and mechanical properties metals.
Moss hardness of iridium - 5
Osmium is a silvery white metal with a bluish tint. It was discovered a year later than iridium, and now it is often found in iron meteorites. In addition to its high hardness, osmium is distinguished by its high cost - 1 gram of pure metal is estimated at 10 thousand dollars. Another feature is its weight - 1 liter of molten osmium is equal to 10 liters of water. True, scientists have not yet found an application for this property.
Because of its rarity and high cost, osmium is only used where no other metal can be used. They never found widespread use for it, and there is no point in searching until metal supplies become regular. Osmium is now used to make tools that require high precision. Products made from it hardly wear out and have significant durability.
Osmium hardness reaches 5.5
One of the most famous elements and one of the hardest metals in the world is uranium. It is a light gray metal with low radioactivity. Uranium is considered one of the heaviest metals - its specific gravity is 19 times that of water. It also possesses relative ductility, ductility and flexibility, and paramagnetic properties. On the Moss scale, the hardness of the metal is 6, which is considered a very high indicator.
Earlier, uranium was almost never used, but was found only as ore waste in the extraction of other metals - radium and vanadium. Today, uranium is mined in deposits, the main sources are the Rocky Mountains of the United States, the Republic of the Congo, Canada and the Union of South Africa.
Despite the radioactivity, uranium is actively consumed by humanity. Most demanded in nuclear power - it is used as fuel for nuclear reactors. Also, uranium is used in the chemical industry and in geology - to determine the age of rocks.
Didn't miss the incredible specific gravity and military engineering. Uranium is regularly used to create the cores of armor-piercing projectiles, which, due to their high strength, do an excellent job with the task.
Uranium is the hardest metal, but it is radioactive
Topping our list of the hardest metals on Earth is brilliant silver gray tungsten. On the Mohs scale, tungsten has a hardness of 6, like uranium, but, unlike the latter, it is not radioactive. Natural hardness, however, does not deprive it of flexibility, so tungsten is ideal for forging various metal products, and its resistance to high temperatures allows it to be used in lighting fixtures and electronics. The consumption of tungsten does not reach high volumes, and the main reason for this is its limited amount in the deposits.
Due to its high density, tungsten is widely used in weaponry for the production of heavyweights and artillery shells. In general, tungsten is actively used in military engineering - bullets, counterweights, ballistic missiles. The next most popular use of this metal is aviation. Engines, parts of electric vacuum devices are made from it. Tungsten cutting tools are used in construction. It is also an indispensable element in the production of varnishes and light-resistant paints, fire-resistant and waterproof fabrics.
Tungsten is considered the most refractory and durable
Having studied the properties and spheres of consumption of each metal, it is difficult to say unequivocally which is the hardest metal in the world, if we take into account not only the indicators of the Mohs scale. Each of the representatives has a number of advantages. For example, titanium, which does not have an ultra-high hardness, has firmly taken the first place among the most used metals. But uranium, the hardness of which reaches the highest point among metals, is not so popular due to its weak radioactivity. And tungsten, which does not emit radiation and has the highest strength and very good compliance rates, cannot be actively used due to limited resources.
The use of metals in everyday life began at the dawn of human development, and the first metal was copper, since it is available in nature and is easily processed. No wonder archaeologists during excavations find various products and household utensils from this metal. In the process of evolution, people gradually learned to combine various metals, obtaining more and more durable alloys, suitable for the manufacture of tools, and later weapons. In our time, experiments continue, thanks to which it is possible to identify the strongest metals in the world.
Titanium opens our rating - a high-strength hard metal that immediately attracted attention. The properties of titanium are: high specific strength; resistance to high temperatures; low density; corrosion resistance; mechanical and chemical resistance
9 Uranus
The most famous element, considered one of the strongest metals in the world, and under normal conditions is a weak radioactive metal. In nature, it is found both in a free state and in acidic sedimentary rocks. It is quite heavy, ubiquitous and has paramagnetic properties, flexibility, malleability, and relative ductility. Uranium is used in many areas of production.
8 Tungsten
Known as the most refractory metal in existence, and among the toughest metals in the world. It is a solid transitional element of a shiny silver-gray color. Possesses high strength, excellent refractoriness, resistance to chemical attack. Due to its properties, it lends itself to forging, and stretches into a thin thread. Known as tungsten filament.
Among the representatives of this group, it is considered a high-density transition metal of silvery-white color. It occurs in nature in its pure form, but it is found in molybdenum and copper raw materials. It features high hardness and density, and has excellent refractoriness. Has increased strength, which is not lost at multiple temperature changes. Rhenium is an expensive metal and has a high cost. Used in modern technology and electronics.
A shiny, silvery white metal with a slightly bluish tint, it belongs to the platinum group and is considered one of the most durable metals in the world. Like iridium, it has a high atomic density, high strength and hardness. Since osmium belongs to platinum metals, it has properties similar to iridium: refractoriness, hardness, brittleness, resistance to mechanical stress, as well as to the influence of aggressive media. It is widely used in surgery, electron microscopy, chemical industry, rocketry, and electronic equipment.
5 Beryllium
It belongs to the group of metals, and is a light gray element with relative hardness and high toxicity. Due to its unique properties, beryllium is used in various fields of production: nuclear power; aerospace engineering; metallurgy; laser technology; nuclear power. Due to its high hardness, beryllium is used in the production of alloying alloys and refractory materials.
4 Chrome
The next in the ten most durable metals in the world is chromium - hard, high durable metal bluish-white, resistant to alkalis and acids. It is found in nature in its pure form and is widely used in various branches of science, technology and production. Chromium It is used to create various alloys that are used in the manufacture of medical and chemical processing equipment. In combination with iron, it forms an alloy of ferrochrome, which is used in the manufacture of metal cutting tools.
Tantalum deserves bronze in the ranking, as it is one of the most durable metals in the world. It is a silvery metal with high hardness and atomic density. Due to the formation of an oxide film on its surface, it has a lead tint. Distinctive properties of tantalum are high strength, refractoriness, corrosion resistance, and aggressive media. The metal is a fairly ductile metal and is easy to machine. Today tantalum is successfully used: in the chemical industry; in the construction of nuclear reactors; in metallurgical production; when creating heat-resistant alloys.
2 Ruthenium
The second place in the ranking of the most durable metals in the world is occupied by ruthenium - a silvery metal belonging to the platinum group. Its peculiarity is the presence of living organisms in the muscle tissue. Valuable properties ruthenium are high strength, hardness, refractoriness, chemical resistance, the ability to form complex compounds. Ruthenium is considered a catalyst for many chemical reactions, acts as a material for the manufacture of electrodes, contacts, sharp points.
1 Iridium
The rating of the most durable metals in the world is headed by iridium - a silvery-white, hard and refractory metal that belongs to the platinum group. In nature, a high-strength element is extremely rare, and is often combined with osmium. Due to its natural hardness, it is difficult to machine and highly resistant to impact chemical... Iridium reacts with great difficulty to exposure to halogens and sodium peroxide. This metal plays an important role in everyday life. It is added to titanium, chromium and tungsten to improve resistance to acidic environments, is used in the manufacture of stationery, and is used in jewelry to create jewelry. The cost of iridium remains high due to its limited presence in nature.
Since they have the highest density. Among them, the heaviest are osmium and iridium. This is the density index of these metals is almost the same, except for a slight calculation error.
Iridium was discovered in 1803. It was discovered by the English chemist Smithson Tennat while researching natural platinum brought from South America. Translated from ancient Greek, the name "iridium" means "rainbow".
Scientific interest as a source of electrical energy is the isotope of a heavy metal - iridium-192m2, since this metal is very large - 241 years. Iridium has found wide application in industry and paleontology - it is used for the production of pens for pens, for determining the age of layers of the earth.
Osmium was discovered by chance in 1804. This hardest metal was found in the chemical composition of the precipitate of platinum dissolved in aqua regia. The name "osmium" comes from the ancient Greek word for "smell". There is almost no such metal in nature. Most often it is found in the composition. Like iridium, osmium is almost not subject to mechanical stress. One liter of osmium is much heavier than ten liters of water. But this property of this metal has not yet found application anywhere.
The hardest metal, osmium, comes from Russian and American mines. However, South Africa is recognized as its richest deposit. Osmium is often found in iron meteorites.
Osmium-187, exported only by Kazakhstan, is of particular interest. It is used to determine the age of meteorites. One gram of this isotope costs 10 thousand US dollars.
The industry mainly uses a hard alloy of osmium with tungsten (osram) for the production of incandescent lamps. Osmium is also a catalytic substance in production. It is quite rare that cutting parts for instruments in surgery are made from this metal.
Both heavy metal - osmium and iridium are almost always contained in the same alloy. This is a certain pattern. And to separate them, you need to make a lot of effort, because they are not as soft as, for example, silver.
When it comes to hard and durable metal, then in his imagination a person immediately draws a warrior with a sword and armor. Well, or with a saber, and always made of Damascus steel. But steel, although strong, but not pure metal, is obtained by alloying iron with carbon and some other additive metals. And, if necessary, the steel is processed to change its properties.
Lightweight, durable metal, silvery white
Each of the additives, be it chromium, nickel or vanadium, is responsible for a certain quality. But titanium is added for strength - the hardest alloys are obtained.According to one version, the metal got its name from the Titans, the mighty and fearless children of the Earth goddess Gaia. But according to another version, the silvery substance is named after the fairy queen Titania.
Titanium was discovered by German and English chemists Gregor and Klaproth independently of each other, six years apart. It happened at the end of the 18th century. The substance immediately took its place in the periodic system of Mendeleev. Three decades later, the first sample of titanium metal was obtained. And for a long time, the metal was not used because of its fragility. Exactly until 1925 - just then, after a series of experiments, pure titanium was obtained by the iodide method. The discovery was a real breakthrough. Titanium turned out to be technologically advanced, designers and engineers immediately paid attention to it. And now metal from ore is obtained mainly by the magnesium-thermal method, which was proposed in 1940.
If we touch upon the physical properties of titanium, then we can note its high specific strength, strength at high temperatures, low density and corrosion resistance. The mechanical strength of titanium is twice that of iron and six times that of aluminum. At high temperatures, where light alloys no longer work (based on magnesium and aluminum), titanium alloys come to the rescue. For example, an airplane at an altitude of 20 kilometers develops a speed three times higher than the speed of sound. And the temperature of its body is about 300 degrees Celsius. Only titanium alloy can withstand such loads.
In terms of prevalence in nature, metal ranks tenth. Titanium is mined in South Africa, Russia, China, Ukraine, Japan and India. And this is not a complete list of countries.
Titanium is the world's strongest and lightest metal
The list of possibilities for using metal is respectable. This is the military industry, osteoprostheses in medicine, jewelry and sports products, boards mobile phones and much more. Titanium is constantly being raised by the designers of rocket, aircraft, and shipbuilding. Even chemical industry did not disregard metal. Titanium is excellent for casting, because the shape when casting is accurate and has a smooth surface. The arrangement of atoms in titanium is amorphous. And it guarantees high tensile strength, toughness, excellent magnetic properties.
Highest density hard metals
Osmium and iridium are also some of the hardest metals. These are substances from the platinum group, they have the highest, almost the same, density.Iridium was discovered in 1803. The metal was discovered by a chemist from England, Smithson Tennat, while researching natural platinum from South America. By the way, from the ancient Greek "iridium" is translated as "rainbow".
The hardest metal is quite difficult to obtain, since it is almost absent in nature. And often the metal is found in meteorites that have fallen to the ground. According to scientists, the content of iridium on our planet should be much higher. But due to the properties of the metal - siderophilicity - it is located at the very depths of the earth's interior.
Iridium is difficult to process both thermally and chemically. The metal does not react with acids, even acid combinations at temperatures below 100 degrees. At the same time, the substance is subject to oxidation processes in aqua regia (this is a mixture of hydrochloric and nitric acids).
Of interest, as a source of electrical energy, is the isotope of iridium 193 m 2. Since the half-life of the metal is 241 years. Found wide application of iridium in paleontology and industry. It is used to make pens for pens and to determine the age of different layers of the earth.
But osmium was discovered a year later than iridium. This hard metal was found in the chemical composition of the platinum precipitate, which was dissolved in aqua regia. And the name "osmium" came from the ancient Greek word "smell". The metal is not subject to mechanical stress. Moreover, one liter of osmium is several times heavier than ten liters of water. However, this property has not yet been applied.
Osmium is mined in American and Russian mines. Its deposit is also rich in South Africa. Quite often, the metal is found in iron meteorites. For specialists, osmium-187 is of interest, which is exported only from Kazakhstan. With its help, the age of meteorites is determined. It should be noted that just one gram of the isotope costs 10 thousand dollars.
Well, they use osmium in industry. And not in pure form, but in the form of a hard alloy with tungsten. Produced from the substance of incandescent lamps. Osmium is a catalyst in the manufacture of ammonia. Rarely are cutting parts made of metal for the needs of surgery.
The hardest metal of the pure
The hardest of the purest metals on the planet is chromium. It lends itself well to mechanical processing. The bluish-white metal was discovered in 1766 in the vicinity of Yekaterinburg. The mineral was then called "Siberian red lead". Its modern name is crocoite. A few years after the discovery, namely, in 1797, the French chemist Vauquelin isolated a new metal from the metal, already refractory. Experts today believe that the resulting substance is chromium carbide. 
The name of this element is derived from the Greek "color", because the metal itself is famous for the variety of colors of its compounds. Chromium is quite easy to find in nature, it is common. You can find metal in South Africa, which ranks first in terms of production, as well as in Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe, Russia and Madagascar. There are deposits in Turkey, Armenia, India, Brazil and the Philippines. Specialists especially appreciate some chromium compounds - chromium iron ore and crocoite.
The hardest metal in the world is tungsten
Tungsten is a chemical element, the hardest, if we consider it among other metals. Its melting point is unusually high, higher only for carbon, but it is not a metallic element.But the natural hardness of tungsten at the same time does not deprive it of its flexibility and pliability, which allows forging any necessary parts from it. It is its flexibility and heat resistance that makes tungsten an ideal material for smelting small parts in lighting fixtures and TV parts, for example.
Tungsten is also used in more serious areas, for example, weaponry - for the manufacture of counterweights and artillery shells. This is due to tungsten's high density, which makes it the main substance of heavy alloys. The density of tungsten is close to that of gold - only a few tenths make up the difference.
On the site, you can read what metals are the softest, how they are used, and what is made of them.
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Metals accompany humanity for almost all of its adult life. It began, of course, with copper, since it is the most malleable material and available in nature.
Evolution helped people to develop significantly technically and over time they began to invent alloys that became stronger and stronger. In our time, experiments continue, and every year new strong alloys appear. Let's consider the best of them.
Titanium
Titanium is a highly durable material that is in high demand in many industries. The most common area of \u200b\u200bapplication is aviation. This is due to the successful combination of low weight and high strength. Also, the properties of titanium are high specific strength, resistance to physical influences, temperatures and corrosion.
Uranus
One of the most durable elements. Under natural conditions, it is a weak radioactive metal. It can be found in a free state, is very heavy, and is widely distributed throughout the world due to its paramagnetic properties. Uranium is flexible, has high malleability for forging and relative ductility.
Tungsten
The most refractory metal known today. It has a silvery-gray color and is a so-called transition element. The properties of tungsten allow it to resist chemical attack and be forgeable. The most famous field of application is used in incandescent lamps.
Rhenium
The metal is silvery white. In nature it can be found in its pure form, but there is also a molybdenum raw material, in which it is also found. Distinctive feature rhenium refractoriness. It belongs to expensive metals, so its cost is also off scale. The main area of \u200b\u200bapplication is electronics.
Osmium
Osmium is a silvery white metal with a slight blue tint. It belongs to the platinum group and has an unusually great similarity with iridium in such properties as refractoriness, hardness and fragility.
Beryllium
This metal is an element with a light gray tint and high toxicity. Having such unusual properties, the material has found wide application in the field nuclear power and laser technology. The high strength of beryllium allows it to be used in the manufacture of alloying alloys.
Chromium
The bluish white shade makes chrome stand out from the rest. It is resistant to alkalis and acids. In nature, it can be found in its pure form. Chromium is often used to create various alloys, which are later used in the field of medicine and chemical equipment.
It should be noted that ferrochrome is an alloy of chromium and iron. It is used in making tools for cutting metals.
Tantalum
It is a silvery metal with high hardness and density. The lead tint on the metal is formed due to the formation of an oxide film on the surface. Metal lends itself well to processing.
Today, tantalum is successfully used in the construction of nuclear reactors and metallurgical production.
Ruthenium
A silvery metal that belongs to the platinum group. It has an unusual composition: it includes the muscle tissue of living organisms. Another distinctive fact is that ruthenium is used as a catalyst for many chemical reactions.
Iridium
In our rating, this metal occupies the first line. It has a silvery white color. Iridium also belongs to the platinum group and has the highest hardness of the above metals. IN modern world it is used very often. It is mainly added to other metals to improve their resistance to acidic environments. The metal itself is very expensive, since it is very poorly distributed in nature.
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