What is the strongest thing in the world. The strongest metal in the world. The hardest pure metal

When we're talking about about hard and durable metal, then in his imagination a person immediately draws a warrior with a sword and in armor. Well, or with a saber, and definitely from Damascus steel. But steel, although durable, is not a pure metal; it is produced by alloying iron with carbon and some other additive metals. And, if necessary, the steel is processed to change its properties.

Lightweight, durable silver-white metal

According to one version, the metal got its name from the Titans, the powerful 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. This happened at the end of the 18th century. The substance immediately took its place in periodic table Mendeleev. Three decades later, the first sample of titanium metal was obtained. And the metal was not used for quite a long time due to its fragility. Exactly until 1925 - it was then, after a series of experiments, that pure titanium was obtained using the iodide method. The discovery was a real breakthrough. Titan turned out to be technologically advanced, and designers and engineers immediately paid attention to it. And now metal is obtained from ore mainly by the magnesium-thermal method, which was proposed in 1940.

If you touch upon physical properties titanium, we can note its high specific strength, strength at high temperatures, low density and corrosion resistance. The mechanical strength of titanium is two times higher than that of iron and six times higher than that of aluminum. At high temperatures, where light alloys no longer work (magnesium and aluminum based), titanium alloys come to the rescue. For example, an airplane at an altitude of 20 kilometers reaches 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.

The metal ranks tenth in terms of prevalence in nature. 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. These are the military industry, osteoprostheses in medicine, jewelry and sports products, circuit boards mobile phones and much more. Rocket, aircraft, and shipbuilding designers constantly praise titanium. Even the chemical industry has not left the metal unattended. Titanium is excellent for casting because the contours when cast are precise and have a smooth surface. The arrangement of atoms in titanium is amorphous. And this guarantees high tensile strength, toughness, excellent magnetic properties.

Hard metals with the highest density

Iridium was discovered in 1803. The metal was discovered by a chemist from England, Smithson Tennat, while studying natural platinum from South America. By the way, “iridium” is translated from ancient Greek 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 fell to the ground. According to scientists, on our planet the content of iridium should be much higher. But due to the properties of the metal - siderophilicity - it is located at the very depths of the earth's bowels.

Iridium is quite difficult to process both thermally and chemically. The metal does not react with acids, even combinations of acids at temperatures less than 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).

Interest as to the source electrical energy, represents the isotope of iridium 193 m 2. Since the half-life of the metal is 241 years. Found wide application iridium in paleontology and industry. It is used in making pen quills and determining the age of different layers of the earth.

But osmium was discovered a year later than iridium. This solid metal was found in chemical composition sediment of platinum, which was dissolved in aqua regia. And the name “osmium” comes from the ancient Greek word for “smell.” Metal is not susceptible mechanical impact. Moreover, one liter of osmium is several times heavier than ten liters of water. However, this property has not yet been used.

Osmium is mined in American and Russian mines. Its deposits are also rich in South Africa. Quite often the metal is found in iron meteorites. Of interest to specialists is osmium-187, which is exported only from Kazakhstan. It is used to determine the age of meteorites. It is worth noting that just one gram of the isotope costs 10 thousand dollars.

Well, osmium is used in industry. And not in its 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 ammonia. Cutting parts for surgical needs are rarely made from metal.

The hardest pure metal

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 and is common. You can find the metal in South Africa, which ranks first in production, as well as in Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe, Russia and Madagascar. There are deposits in Turkey, Armenia, India, Brazil and the Philippines. Experts especially value certain chromium compounds - chromium iron ore and crocoite.

The hardest metal in the world is tungsten

But the natural hardness of tungsten at the same time does not deprive it of flexibility and pliability, which allows you to forge any necessary parts from it. It is its flexibility and heat resistance that makes tungsten an ideal material for smelting small parts of lighting fixtures and TV parts, for example.

Tungsten is also used in more serious areas, for example, weapons manufacturing - for the manufacture of counterweights and artillery shells. Tungsten owes this high rate 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 website you can read which metals are the softest, how they are used, and what is made from them.
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Glass made of metal

Specialists from the California Institute of Technology have obtained a material that is unique in its properties - this is the strongest alloy to date - “metal glass”. The uniqueness of the new alloy is that metallic glass is made of metal, but has the internal structure of glass. Today, scientists are figuring out what exactly gives the alloy such unusual properties and how they can be introduced into alloys made from less expensive materials.

The amorphous structure of glass, unlike the crystalline structure of metal, is not protected from the propagation of cracks, which explains the fragility of glass. Metal glasses also have the same disadvantage, which also break quite easily, forming shear bands that develop into cracks.

Alloy properties

Specialists from the Californian Institute noticed that the appearance of a large number of shear bands provides high resistance to the development of cracks, due to which the opposite effect is achieved: the material bends without collapsing. It is precisely this material, the energy of producing shear bands that is much less than the energy required to turn them into cracks, that they created. “By mixing five elements, we ensured that when cooled, the material “does not know” which structure to adopt and chooses an amorphous one,” explained study participant R. Ritchie.

Metal glass

The most durable alloy - metal glass - consists of noble palladium, silicon, phosphorus, germanium with a small addition of silver (formula: Pd79Ag3.5P6Si9.5Ge2).

The new alloy showed itself in tests as a combination of mutually exclusive properties - strength and endurance at a level not previously seen in any other material. As a result, the new metallic glass combines the hardness of glass with the crack resistance of metals. Moreover, the level of rigidity and strength is within reach.

Use of material

For structural metal, the research carried out has significantly pushed back the limits of load tolerance. But, according to scientists’ forecasts, the most durable alloy may not be widely used, due to the rarity and high cost of its main component, palladium. However, developers have reported possible use of this material in medical implants (for example, for intramaxillary prostheses), as well as parts in the automotive or aerospace industries.

From childhood we know that the strongest metal is steel. We associate everything iron with it.

Iron man, iron lady, character of steel. When we pronounce these phrases, we mean incredible strength, strength, hardness.

For a long time, steel was the main material in production and armament. But steel is not metal. More precisely, it is not entirely pure metal. This is with carbon, in which other metal additives are present. By using additives, e.g. change its properties. After this, it is processed. Steelmaking is a whole science.

The strongest metal is obtained by introducing appropriate alloys into steel. This could be chromium, which imparts heat resistance, nickel, which makes the steel hard and elastic, etc.

In some areas, steel has begun to replace aluminum. Time passed, speeds increased. Aluminum couldn't stand it either. I had to turn to titanium.

Yes, yes, titanium is the strongest metal. To give steel high strength characteristics, titanium began to be added to it.

It was discovered in the 18th century. Due to its fragility, it was impossible to use. Over time, having obtained pure titanium, engineers and designers became interested in its high specific strength, low density, resistance to corrosion and high temperatures. Its physical strength exceeds the strength of iron several times.

Engineers began adding titanium to steel. The result is the most durable metal, which has found application in ultra-high temperature environments. At that time, no other alloy could withstand them.

If you imagine an airplane flying three times faster than you can imagine how the covering metal heats up. The sheet metal of the aircraft skin in such conditions heats up to +3000C.

Today, titanium is used unlimitedly in all areas of production. These are medicine, aircraft manufacturing, ship production.

It is clear that titanium will have to move in the near future.

Scientists from the USA, in the laboratories of the University of Texas in Austin, discovered the thinnest and most durable material on Earth. They called it graphene.

Imagine a plate whose thickness is equal to the thickness of one atom. But such a plate is stronger than diamond and conducts electric current a hundred times better than computer chips made of silicon.

Graphene is a material with damaging properties. It will soon leave the laboratory and rightfully take its place among the most durable materials in the Universe.

It is even impossible to imagine that a few grams of graphene would be enough to cover a football field. This is metal. Pipes made of such material can be laid manually without the use of lifting and transport mechanisms.

Graphene, like diamond, is the purest carbon. Its flexibility is amazing. This material bends easily, folds perfectly and rolls perfectly.

Manufacturers of touch screens, solar panels, cell phones, and finally, super-fast computer chips.

When the word “metal” is mentioned, everyone probably pictures in their imagination a hard, durable and super-strong sheet of iron that cannot simply be bent or broken. However, metals are very different. And if you are wondering which metal is the strongest in the world, then we will provide you with a reliable answer and tell you about such metal. It is a silver-white material called “titanium”.

Opened by whom and when?

Two scientists worked on the discovery of this metal at once - the Englishman W. Gregory and the German M. Klaptor. They discovered this element at the end of the eighteenth century, but with an interval of six years. In the periodic table, titanium appeared under the twenty-second serial number immediately after the discovery of the metal by scientists. However, due to its high fragility, titanium was not used for a long time. And in 1925 Dutch physicists made a real discovery, isolating the purest titanium, which combines many advantages. The metal has become distinguished by its high manufacturability, excellent specific strength, resistance to corrosion and incredible strength when exposed to high temperatures.

Main characteristics of titanium

The strongest metal in the world, created by scientists in 1925, is incredibly ductile, which makes it possible to create sheets, rods, tape, pipes, wire and foil from it. In terms of hardness, titanium is four times harder than iron and copper, and also in this parameter, titanium is twelve times stronger than aluminum. Titanium products retain their strength even when exposed to high temperatures. Titanium parts can serve for a long time under the influence of ultra-high loads.

Also, the strongest metal on Earth has excellent anti-corrosion characteristics. For example, a titanium plate placed in seawater was not exposed to rust for ten years. Electrical and radio electronics engineers have an increased interest in this metal - and all because the strongest metal in the world has significant electrical resistance and is distinguished by non-magnetic properties.

Why is this metal called “titanium”?

There are two versions of the origin of its name. According to one of them, it is believed that the silver-white metal was named after the fairy queen Titania, who is known from German mythology. And all because the material, in addition to its high strength, is also incredibly lightweight. According to another version, the metal is named after the mighty children of the goddess Gaia - the Titans. It is difficult to judge which of these versions is more plausible, but it can be noted that each of them is remarkable and has a place to be.

Application of titanium

The use of silver metal is quite widespread. It is used in the military industry (construction of missiles, armor for aircraft, hulls for submarines, etc.), medicine (prosthetics), automotive industry, agricultural industry, mobile phone manufacturing and jewelry manufacturing.

Even lighter and more durable

Quite recently, Californian scientists told the world that they had discovered the lightest and strongest metal. This is a liquid metal that is created from a mixture of graphene oxide and lyophilized carbon. Liquid metal has already received high marks from experts and has established itself as an ideal casting and stainless material.

The new metal is so light that flower petals can easily hold it. As you know, graphene is distinguished not only by its lightness and high strength, but also by its excellent flexibility. Therefore, scientists today are developing developments in the direction of creating ultra-light materials, and perhaps in the near future even more unique materials will appear before humanity.

Today we will look at the strongest metals in the world and discuss their properties. And titanium opens the “strength rating”.

Not the most durable?

The name of the metal presumably comes from the name of the ancient Greek hero Titan. Therefore, we associate this metal with indestructibility. Many consider titanium to be the strongest metal in the world. However, in reality this is far from the case.

Pure titanium was first obtained in 1925. On new material immediately attracted attention due to a number of properties. Titanium has begun to be very actively used in the industrial sector.

Today, titanium is in 10th place among natural metals in terms of prevalence. The earth's crust contains about 700 million tons. That is, the current raw materials will last for another 150 years.

Titanium has excellent properties. It is a lightweight and durable metal that is resistant to corrosion. It can be easily heat treated and has a wide range of applications. It interacts with other elements of the periodic table only when heated. Found naturally in rutile and ilmenite ores. Pure titanium is obtained by sintering ore with chlorine.

It is able to withstand enormous loads. The metal is distinguished by its high strength and impact resistance. It is used in the manufacture Vehicle, rockets and even submarines. Titanium can withstand pressure even at great depths.

It is also popular in the medical industry. Prostheses based on it do not interact with body tissues and are not subject to corrosion. But over the years it begins to wear out, which forces you to replace the prosthesis with a new one.

New developments

In 2016, scientists found a way to improve the properties of titanium and make it even more durable. The main goal of the research is to find a more durable material that is compatible with body tissues. And then we remembered gold, which has been used in prosthetics for many years.

The alloy of titanium and gold, after several attempts to find the ideal ratio of components, turned out to be incredibly durable. 4 times stronger than other metals used today for prosthetics.

Tantalum

One of the strongest metals. Named after the ancient Greek god Tantalus, who angered Zeus and was cast into hell. It has a silvery-white color with a bluish tint. It is a characteristic element of granitic and alkaline magma. It is extracted from the mineral coltan, the largest deposits of which are located in Brazil and Africa.

It was opened back in 1802. Then it was considered a variety of columbium, but later it was established that these are two different metals with similar properties. Only 100 years later it was possible to obtain pure tantalum. Its cost today is quite high - $150 per 1 kg of metal.

Tantalum is a refractory metal with a fairly high density. From a chemical point of view, it is stable because it does not dissolve in dilute acids. In powder form, tantalum burns well in air. Used for the manufacture of electrolytic capacitors, heaters in vacuum furnaces. Tantalum capacitors increase service life electronic systems up to 10-12 years. It is noteworthy that even jewelers have found use for it - they replace platinum.

Strength testing of metals showed that the alloy of tantalum and tungsten has almost one hundred percent strength.

Osmium is the very...

Osmium is another incredibly strong metal. It is also included in the list of the rarest and most expensive. It is present in the earth's crust in minute quantities. It is classified as dispersed, that is, it does not have its own deposits. Therefore, its extraction is accompanied by enormous difficulties.

Osmium belongs to the group of platinum metals. Its cost is about $10,000 per gram. In price it is second only to artificial Californian. It consists of several isotopes that are incredibly difficult to separate. The most popular isotope is osmium-187. Its price per gram reaches up to $200,000!

Osmium is the record holder for density among metals. In addition, it is a high-strength metal. Alloys containing osmium become resistant to corrosion and become stronger and more durable. Metal is also used in its pure form, for example, to make expensive fountain pens, which practically do not wear out and write for years.

Chromium

Chromium, cobalt and tungsten have been known to science since 1913 and are united under common name- stellites. They remain hard even at temperatures of 600 degrees Celsius.

This metal is mainly found in the deep layers of the Earth. It is also found in stony meteorites, which are considered analogues of our mantle. Only chrome spinels are of industrial value. Many minerals that contain chromium are completely useless. The purest chromium is obtained by electrolysis of concentrated aqueous solutions or electrolysis of chromium sulfate.

Metal in combination with steel significantly enhances its strength and also adds resistance to oxidation. It improves the characteristics of steel without reducing its ductility.

Ruthenium

It belongs to the platinum group and is classified as a noble metal. However, from their list, ruthenium is considered the least noble... It was discovered by the scientist Karl-Ernst Klaus in 1844. It is noteworthy that the professor constantly smelled and tasted the results of his research. Once he even received a burn to his mouth when he tasted one of the ruthenium compounds he discovered.

Its world reserves today are about 5,000 tons. Ruthenium has been studied for a long time, but many of its properties are still unknown. The problem is that no way has yet been found to completely purify ruthenium. The contamination of raw materials prevents the study of its properties. However, doctors are confident that the use of metal in everyday life can increase the incidence of illness among the population. That is why the release of the ruthenium-106 isotope in the Urals caused such a resonance in the press. After all, ruthenium-106 has radioactive properties.

At the same time, its value in 2017 unexpectedly surpassed all platinum metals.

Iridium is the strongest metal

It is iridium that has the highest strength. Yes, it is inferior to osmium in density, but has the highest strength coefficient. It is also called the rarest of metals, but in fact the content of astatine in the earth's crust is even lower.

Iridium was studied very carefully. 70 years later, its main properties - incredible strength and corrosion resistance - have become known throughout the world. Today it is used in many industries. The lion's share of the metal is exploited by the chemical industry. The remainder is distributed among many other areas, including medicine and jewelry. Iridium combined with platinum creates high-quality and very durable jewelry.

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