The most impenetrable metal. The most durable alloy
01/18/2016 at 17:21 · Johnny · 102 600
Top 10 strongest metals in the world
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 can be easily processed. It is not without reason that archaeologists during excavations find various products and household utensils made of this metal. In the process of evolution, people gradually learned to combine various metals, obtaining increasingly durable alloys suitable for making tools, and later weapons. Nowadays, experiments continue, thanks to which it is possible to identify the strongest metals in the world.
10.
- high specific strength;
- resistance to high temperatures;
- low density;
- corrosion resistance;
- mechanical and chemical resistance.
Titanium is used in the military industry, aviation medicine, shipbuilding, and other areas of production.
9.
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, widely distributed everywhere and has paramagnetic properties, flexibility, malleability, and relative ductility. Uranium is used in many areas of production.
8.
Known as the most refractory metal in existence, it is one of the strongest metals in the world. It is a solid transitional element of a shiny silver-gray color. It has high strength, excellent refractoriness, and resistance to chemical influences. Due to its properties, it can be forged and drawn into a thin thread. Known as tungsten filament.
7.
Among the representatives of this group, it is considered a high-density transition metal with a silvery-white color. It occurs in nature in its pure form, but is found in molybdenum and copper raw materials. It is characterized by high hardness and density, and has excellent refractoriness. It has increased strength, which is not lost due to repeated temperature changes. Rhenium is an expensive metal and has a high cost. Used in modern technology and electronics.
6.
A shiny silvery-white metal with a slightly bluish tint, it belongs to the platinum group and is considered one of the strongest metals in the world. Similar to iridium, it has a high atomic density, high strength and hardness. Since osmium is a platinum metal, it has properties similar to iridium: refractoriness, hardness, brittleness, resistance to mechanical stress, as well as to the influence of aggressive environments. It is widely used in surgery, electron microscopy, the chemical industry, rocketry, and electronic equipment.
5.
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 a wide variety of production areas:
- nuclear energy;
- aerospace engineering;
- metallurgy;
- laser technology;
- nuclear energy.
Due to its high hardness, beryllium is used in the production of alloying alloys and refractory materials.
4.
Next on the list of the ten strongest metals in the world is chromium - a hard, high-strength metal of a bluish-white color, resistant to alkalis and acids. It occurs in nature in its pure form and is widely used in various branches of science, technology and production. Chromium is used to create various alloys that are used in the manufacture of medical and chemical processing equipment. When combined with iron, it forms an alloy called ferrochrome, which is used in the manufacture of metal-cutting tools.
3.
Tantalum deserves bronze in the ranking, as it is one of the strongest 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 leaden tint.
The distinctive properties of tantalum are high strength, refractoriness, resistance to corrosion, and resistance to aggressive environments. The metal is a fairly ductile metal and can be easily machined. Today tantalum is successfully used:
- in the chemical industry;
- during the construction of nuclear reactors;
- in metallurgical production;
- when creating heat-resistant alloys.
2.
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 of ruthenium are high strength, hardness, refractoriness, chemical resistance, and the ability to form complex compounds. Ruthenium is considered a catalyst for many chemical reactions and acts as a material for the manufacture of electrodes, contacts, and sharp tips.
1.
The ranking of the strongest metals in the world is headed by iridium - a silver-white, hard and refractory metal that belongs to the platinum group. In nature, the high-strength element is extremely rare and is often combined with osmium. Due to its natural hardness, it is difficult to machine and is highly resistant to chemicals. 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, used in the manufacture of stationery, and used in jewelry to create jewelry. The cost of iridium remains high due to its limited presence in nature.
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Metals have been used by man since the dawn of civilization. One of the first known was copper, due to its ease of processing and widespread use. Archaeologists have found thousands of copper items during excavations. Progress does not stand still, and soon humanity learned to produce durable alloys to make weapons and agricultural tools. To this day, experiments with metals do not stop, so it has become possible to determine which is the strongest metal in the world.
Iridium
So, the strongest metal is iridium. It is obtained by precipitation from the dissolution of platinum in sulfuric acid. After the reaction, the substance becomes black, and later in the process of various compounds it can change color: hence the name, which means “rainbow”. Iridium was discovered in the early 19th century, and since then only two ways have been found to dissolve it: molten lye and sodium peroxide.
Iridium is very rare in nature; its amount in the earth does not exceed 1 in 1,000,000,000. As a result, one ounce of the material costs at least $1,000.
Iridium is widely used in various fields of human activity, especially in medicine. It is used to produce eye prostheses, hearing aids, electrodes for the brain, as well as special capsules that are implanted into cancer tumors.
According to scientists, such a small amount of matter indicates that it is of alien origin, namely, brought by some kind of asteroid.
Another of the strongest metals in the world, the name of which comes from the name of our country. It was first discovered in the Urals. Or rather, platinum was found there, in which Russian scientists later identified a new metal. This was 200 years ago.
Due to its beauty, ruthenium is often used in jewelry, but not in its pure form, because it is very rare
Ruthenium is a noble metal. It has not only hardness, but also beauty. In terms of hardness, it is only slightly inferior to quartz. But at the same time it is very fragile, it can easily be crushed into powder or broken by dropping it from a height. In addition, it is the lightest and strongest metal, its density is barely thirteen grams per centimeter cubed.
Despite its poor impact resistance, ruthenium is excellent at resisting high temperatures. To melt it, it must be heated to more than 2300 degrees. If this is done using an electric arc, the substance can go directly into the gaseous state, bypassing the liquid stage.
As part of alloys, its use is extremely wide, even in space mechanics; for example, alloys of the metals ruthenium and platinum were chosen for the manufacture of fuel elements for artificial Earth satellites.
The first on Earth to discover this metal was the Swedish scientist Ekeberg. But the chemist was never able to isolate it in its pure form; difficulties arose with this, which is why it received the name of the Greek hero of myths, Tantalus. Tantalum began to be actively used only during the Second World War.
Tantalum is a hard, durable, silver-colored metal that exhibits little activity at ordinary temperatures, oxidizes only when heated above 280°C, and melts only at almost 3300 Kelvin.
Despite its strength, tantalum is quite ductile, approximately like gold, and working with it is not difficult
Tantalum can be used as a substitute for stainless steels; the service life may differ by as much as twenty years.
Tantalum is also used:
- in aviation for the manufacture of heat-resistant parts;
- in chemistry as part of anti-corrosion alloys;
- in nuclear energy, since it is extremely resistant to cesium vapor;
- medicine for the manufacture of implants and prostheses;
- in computer technology for the production of superconductors;
- in military affairs for various types of projectiles;
- in jewelry, since during oxidation it can acquire different shades.
This metal is considered biogenic, which means it can have a positive effect on living organisms. For example, the amount of chromium regulates cholesterol levels. If chromium in the body is less than six milligrams, this leads to a sharp increase in cholesterol in the blood. You can get chromium ions, for example, from pearl barley, duck, liver or beets.
Chrome is refractory, does not react to moisture and does not oxidize (only when heated above 600°C).
The metal is actively used to create chrome coatings and dental crowns.
This durable metal was previously called glucinium because people noted its sweet taste. In addition, this substance has many more amazing properties. He is reluctant to enter into chemical reactions. Extremely durable: it has been experimentally established that beryllium wire a millimeter thick can support the weight of an adult. For comparison, aluminum wire can only withstand twelve kilograms.
Beryllium is very poisonous. When ingested, it can replace magnesium in the bones, a condition called berylliosis. It is accompanied by a dry cough and swelling of the lungs and can lead to death. Toxicity is perhaps the only significant drawback of beryllium for humans. Otherwise, it has a lot of advantages and a lot of uses: heavy industry, nuclear fuel, aviation and astronautics, metallurgy, medicine.
Beryllium is very light compared to some alkali metals
This durable metal is even more expensive than iridium (and is second only to California). However, it is used in areas where the result is more important than the cost: for the production of medical equipment for the world's best clinics. In addition, it can be used to make electrical contacts, parts of measuring equipment and expensive watches like Rolex, electron microscopes, and military warheads. Thanks to osmium, they become stronger and can withstand higher temperatures, even extreme ones.
Osmium does not occur in nature on its own, only in combination with rhodium, so after extraction the task is to separate their atoms. Less common is osmium in a “set” with platinum, copper and some other ores.
Only a few tens of kilograms of the substance are produced per year on the planet.
This metal has a very strong structure. It itself is whitish in color, and when crushed into powder it turns black. The metal is very rare and is mined in combination with other ores and minerals. The concentration of rhenium in nature is negligible.
Due to the incredible high cost, the substance is used only in cases of extreme necessity. Previously, its alloys, due to their heat resistance, were used in aviation and rocketry, including for equipping supersonic fighters. It was this area that was the main point of global consumption of rhenium, making it a material of military-strategic use.
Rhenium is used to make filaments and springs for measuring instruments, self-cleaning contacts and special catalysts necessary for the production of gasoline. This is what has increased the demand for rhenium significantly in recent years. The world market is literally ready to fight for this rare metal.
In the whole world there is only one full-fledged deposit of it, and it is located in Russia, the second, much smaller one, is in Finland
Scientists have invented a new substance, which in its properties can become stronger than known metals. It was called "Liquid Metal". Experiments with it began quite recently, but it has already proven itself. It is quite possible that Liquid Metal will soon supplant the metals that are so well known to us.
The world around us is still fraught with many mysteries, but even phenomena and substances known to scientists for a long time never cease to amaze and delight. We admire bright colors, enjoy tastes and use the properties of all kinds of substances that make our lives more comfortable, safer and more enjoyable. In the search for the most reliable and durable materials, man has made many exciting discoveries, and here is a selection of just 25 such unique compounds!
25. Diamonds
If not everyone, then almost everyone knows this for sure. Diamonds are not only one of the most revered gemstones, but also one of the hardest minerals on Earth. On the Mohs scale (a scale of hardness that evaluates the mineral's reaction to scratching), diamond is listed at 10. There are a total of 10 positions on the scale, and the 10th is the last and hardest degree. Diamonds are so hard that they can only be scratched by other diamonds.
24. Catching webs of the spider species Caerostris darwini
Photo: pixabay
It's hard to believe, but the web of the Caerostris darwini spider (or Darwin's spider) is stronger than steel and harder than Kevlar. This web has been recognized as the hardest biological material in the world, although now it already has a potential competitor, but the data has not yet been confirmed. The spider fiber was tested for such characteristics as breaking strain, impact strength, tensile strength and Young's modulus (the property of a material to resist stretching and compression during elastic deformation), and for all these indicators the spider web showed itself in the most amazing way. In addition, the Darwin spider's catching net is incredibly lightweight. For example, if we wrap our planet with Caerostris darwini fiber, the weight of such a long thread will be only 500 grams. Such long networks do not exist, but the theoretical calculations are simply amazing!
23. Aerographite
Photo: BrokenSphere
This synthetic foam is one of the lightest fibrous materials in the world, and it consists of a network of carbon tubes just a few microns in diameter. Aerographite is 75 times lighter than foam, but at the same time much stronger and more flexible. It can be compressed to 30 times its original size without any harm to its extremely elastic structure. Thanks to this property, airgraphite foam can withstand a load of 40,000 times its own weight.
22. Palladium metal glass
Photo: pixabay
A team of scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Berkeley Lab) has developed a new type of metallic glass that combines an almost ideal combination of strength and ductility. The reason for the uniqueness of the new material lies in the fact that its chemical structure successfully hides the fragility of existing glassy materials and at the same time maintains a high threshold of endurance, which ultimately significantly increases the fatigue strength of this synthetic structure.
21. Tungsten carbide
Photo: pixabay
Tungsten carbide is an incredibly hard material that is highly wear resistant. Under certain conditions, this connection is considered very brittle, but under heavy load it shows unique plastic properties, manifested in the form of slip bands. Thanks to all these qualities, tungsten carbide is used in the manufacture of armor-piercing tips and various equipment, including all kinds of cutters, abrasive discs, drills, cutters, drill bits and other cutting tools.
20. Silicon carbide
Photo: Tiia Monto
Silicon carbide is one of the main materials used for the production of battle tanks. This compound is known for its low cost, outstanding refractoriness and high hardness, and is therefore often used in the manufacture of equipment or gear that must deflect bullets, cut or grind other durable materials. Silicon carbide makes excellent abrasives, semiconductors, and even jewelry inserts that imitate diamonds.
19. Cubic boron nitride
Photo: wikimedia commons
Cubic boron nitride is a super-hard material, similar in hardness to diamond, but also has a number of distinctive advantages - high temperature stability and chemical resistance. Cubic boron nitride does not dissolve in iron and nickel even when exposed to high temperatures, while diamond under the same conditions enters into chemical reactions quite quickly. This is actually beneficial for its use in industrial grinding tools.
18. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), Dyneema fiber brand
Photo: Justsail
High modulus polyethylene has extremely high wear resistance, low friction coefficient and high fracture toughness (low temperature reliability). Today it is considered the strongest fibrous substance in the world. The most amazing thing about this polyethylene is that it is lighter than water and can stop bullets at the same time! Cables and ropes made from Dyneema fibers do not sink in water, do not require lubrication and do not change their properties when wet, which is very important for shipbuilding.
17. Titanium alloys
Photo: Alchemist-hp (pse-mendelejew.de)
Titanium alloys are incredibly ductile and exhibit amazing strength when stretched. In addition, they have high heat resistance and corrosion resistance, which makes them extremely useful in areas such as aircraft manufacturing, rocketry, shipbuilding, chemical, food and transport engineering.
16. Liquidmetal alloy
Photo: pixabay
Developed in 2003 at the California Institute of Technology, this material is renowned for its strength and durability. The name of the compound connotes something brittle and liquid, but at room temperature it is actually extremely hard, wear-resistant, resistant to corrosion and transforms when heated, like thermoplastics. The main areas of application so far are the manufacture of watches, golf clubs and covers for mobile phones (Vertu, iPhone).
15. Nanocellulose
Photo: pixabay
Nanocellulose is isolated from wood fiber and is a new type of wood material that is even stronger than steel! In addition, nanocellulose is also cheaper. The innovation has great potential and in the future could seriously compete with glass and carbon fiber. The developers believe that this material will soon be in great demand in the production of military armor, super-flexible screens, filters, flexible batteries, absorbent aerogels and biofuels.
14. Teeth of limpet snails
Photo: pixabay
Previously, we already told you about the Darwin spider’s catching net, which was once recognized as the strongest biological material on the planet. However, a recent study has shown that the limpet is the most durable biological substance known to science. Yes, these teeth are stronger than the web of Caerostris darwini. And this is not surprising, because tiny sea creatures feed on algae growing on the surface of harsh rocks, and in order to separate food from the rock, these animals have to work hard. Scientists believe that in the future we will be able to use the example of the fibrous structure of the teeth of sea limpets in the engineering industry and begin to build cars, boats and even high-strength aircraft, inspired by the example of simple snails.
13. Maraging steel
Photo: pixabay
Maraging steel is a high-strength, high-alloy alloy with excellent ductility and toughness. The material is widely used in rocket science and is used to make all kinds of tools.
12. Osmium
Photo: Periodictableru / www.periodictable.ru
Osmium is an incredibly dense element, and its hardness and high melting point make it difficult to machine. That is why osmium is used where durability and strength are valued most. Osmium alloys are found in electrical contacts, rocketry, military projectiles, surgical implants, and many other applications.
11. Kevlar
Photo: wikimedia commons
Kevlar is a high-strength fiber that can be found in car tires, brake pads, cables, prosthetic and orthopedic products, body armor, protective clothing fabrics, shipbuilding and parts of unmanned aerial vehicles. The material has become almost synonymous with strength and is a type of plastic with incredibly high strength and elasticity. The tensile strength of Kevlar is 8 times higher than that of steel wire, and it begins to melt at a temperature of 450℃.
10. Ultra-high molecular weight high-density polyethylene, Spectra fiber brand
Photo: Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com / Wikimedia Commons
UHMWPE is essentially a very durable plastic. Spectra, a brand of UHMWPE, is, in turn, a lightweight fiber of the highest wear resistance, 10 times superior to steel in this indicator. Like Kevlar, Spectra is used in the manufacture of body armor and protective helmets. Along with UHMWPE, the Dynimo Spectrum brand is popular in the shipbuilding and transport industries.
9. Graphene
Photo: pixabay
Graphene is an allotrope of carbon, and its crystal lattice, just one atom thick, is so strong that it is 200 times harder than steel. Graphene looks like cling film, but tearing it is an almost impossible task. To pierce a graphene sheet, you will have to stick a pencil into it, on which you will have to balance a load that weighs an entire school bus. Good luck!
8. Carbon nanotube paper
Photo: pixabay
Thanks to nanotechnology, scientists have managed to make paper that is 50 thousand times thinner than a human hair. Sheets of carbon nanotubes are 10 times lighter than steel, but the most amazing thing is that they are as much as 500 times stronger than steel! Macroscopic nanotube plates are most promising for the manufacture of supercapacitor electrodes.
7. Metal microgrid
Photo: pixabay
This is the lightest metal in the world! Metal microgrid is a synthetic porous material that is 100 times lighter than foam. But don't let its appearance fool you, these microgrids are also incredibly durable, giving them great potential for use in all sorts of engineering applications. They can be used to make excellent shock absorbers and thermal insulators, and the metal's amazing ability to shrink and return to its original state allows it to be used for energy storage. Metal microgrids are also actively used in the production of various parts for aircraft of the American company Boeing.
6. Carbon nanotubes
Photo: User Mstroeck / en.wikipedia
We have already talked above about ultra-strong macroscopic plates made of carbon nanotubes. But what kind of material is this? Essentially these are graphene planes rolled into a tube (9th point). The result is an incredibly light, resilient and durable material with a wide range of applications.
5. Airbrush
Photo: wikimedia commons
Also known as graphene airgel, this material is extremely lightweight and strong at the same time. The new type of gel completely replaces the liquid phase with a gaseous phase and is characterized by sensational hardness, heat resistance, low density and low thermal conductivity. Incredibly, graphene airgel is 7 times lighter than air! The unique compound is able to restore its original shape even after 90% compression and can absorb an amount of oil that is 900 times the weight of the airgraphene used for absorption. Perhaps in the future this class of materials will help combat environmental disasters such as oil spills.
4. Untitled material, developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Photo: pixabay
As you read this, a team of scientists from MIT is working to improve the properties of graphene. The researchers said they have already succeeded in converting the two-dimensional structure of this material into three-dimensional. The new graphene substance has not yet received its name, but it is already known that its density is 20 times less than that of steel, and its strength is 10 times higher than that of steel.
3. Carbin
Photo: Smokefoot
Even though it's just linear chains of carbon atoms, carbyne has 2 times the tensile strength of graphene and is 3 times harder than diamond!
2. Boron nitride wurtzite modification
Photo: pixabay
This newly discovered natural substance is formed during volcanic eruptions and is 18% harder than diamonds. However, it is superior to diamonds in a number of other parameters. Wurtzite boron nitride is one of only 2 natural substances found on Earth that is harder than diamond. The problem is that there are very few such nitrides in nature, and therefore they are not easy to study or apply in practice.
1. Lonsdaleite
Photo: pixabay
Also known as hexagonal diamond, lonsdaleite is made up of carbon atoms, but in this modification the atoms are arranged slightly differently. Like wurtzite boron nitride, lonsdaleite is a natural substance superior in hardness to diamond. Moreover, this amazing mineral is as much as 58% harder than diamond! Like wurtzite boron nitride, this compound is extremely rare. Sometimes lonsdaleite is formed during the collision of meteorites containing graphite with the Earth.
Titan was discovered at the end of the 18th century by independent scientists from England and Germany. In the periodic table of elements D.I. Mendeleev was located in group 4 with atomic number 22. For quite a long time, scientists did not see any prospects in titanium, since it was very fragile. But in 1925, Dutch scientists I. de Boer and A. Van Arkel were able to obtain pure titanium in the laboratory, which became a real breakthrough in all industries.
Properties of titanium
Pure titanium turned out to be incredibly technological. It has ductility, low density, high specific strength, corrosion resistance, and strength when exposed to high temperatures. Titanium is twice as strong as steel and six times as strong. Titanium is indispensable in supersonic aviation. After all, at an altitude of 20 km it develops a speed that exceeds the speed of sound three times. In this case, the temperature of the aircraft body heats up to 300°C. Only titanium alloys can withstand such conditions.
Titanium shavings are a fire hazard, and titanium dust can generally explode. During an explosion, the flash point can reach 400°C.
The most durable on the planet
Titanium is so light and strong that its alloys are used to make the hulls of aircraft and submarines, body armor and tank armor, and are also used in nuclear technology. Another remarkable property of this metal is its passive effect on living tissue. Only osteoprostheses are made from. Semi-precious stones and jewelry are made from some titanium compounds.
The chemical industry has also not ignored titanium. In many aggressive environments, metal does not corrode. Titanium dioxide is used to make white paint, in the production of plastic and paper, and as a food additive E171.
On the scale of metal hardness, titanium is second only to platinum metals and tungsten.
Distribution and stocks
Titanium is a fairly common metal. It ranks tenth in this indicator. The earth's crust contains about 0.57% titanium. At the moment, scientists know over a hundred minerals that contain metal. Its deposits are scattered almost all over the world. Titanium mining is carried out in China, South Africa, Russia, Ukraine, India and Japan.
Progress
For several years now, scientists have been conducting research on a new metal, which was called “liquid metal”. This invention claims to be the new, most durable metal on the planet. But it has not yet been obtained in solid form.
Metals include substances that have specific properties characteristic of them. In this case, high ductility and malleability, as well as electrical conductivity and a number of other parameters are taken into account. Which of them is the strongest metal can be found out from the data below.
About metals in nature
The word “metal” came into Russian from German. Since the 16th century it has been found in books, although quite rarely. Later, in the era of Peter I, it began to be used more often, and then the word had the general meaning of “ore, mineral, metal.” And only during the period of M.V.’s activity. Lomonosov these concepts were differentiated.
In nature, metals are found quite rarely in their pure form. Basically, they are part of various ores, and also form various compounds, such as sulfides, oxides, carbonates and others. In order to obtain pure metals, and this is very important for their future use, they need to be isolated and then purified. If necessary, metals are alloyed - special impurities are added in order to change their properties. Currently, there is a division into ferrous metal ores, which include iron, and non-ferrous ores. Precious or noble metals include gold, platinum and silver.
Metals are found even in the human body. Calcium, sodium, magnesium, copper, iron - this is a list of these substances that are found in the greatest quantities.
Depending on further use, metals are divided into groups:
- Construction materials. Both the metals themselves and their alloys with significantly improved properties are used. In this case, strength, impermeability to liquids and gases, and homogeneity are valued.
- Materials for tools, most often referring to the working part. Tool steels and hard alloys are suitable for this purpose.
- Electrical materials. Such metals are used as good conductors of electricity. The most common of them are copper and aluminum. They are also used as materials with high resistance - nichrome and others.
The strongest of metals
The strength of metals is their ability to resist destruction under the influence of internal stresses, which can arise when external forces influence these materials. This is also the property of a structure to maintain its characteristics for a certain time.
Many alloys are quite strong and resistant not only to physical but also chemical influences; they are not pure metals. There are metals that can be called the most durable. Titanium, which melts at a temperature above 1,941 K (1660±20 °C), uranium, which is a radioactive metal, refractory tungsten, which boils at a temperature of at least 5,828 K (5555 °C). As well as others that have unique properties and are necessary in the process of manufacturing parts, tools and objects using the most modern technologies. The five most durable of them include metals whose properties are already known; they are widely used in various sectors of the national economy and are used in scientific experiments and developments.
Found in molybdenum ores and copper raw materials. Has high hardness and density. Very refractory. Its strength cannot be reduced even under the influence of critical temperature changes. Widely used in many electronic devices and technical means.
A rare-earth metal with a silver-gray tint and shiny, crystalline formations when broken. Interestingly, beryllium crystals taste somewhat sweet, which is why it was originally called “glucinium,” which means “sweet.” Thanks to this metal, a new technology has emerged, which is used in the synthesis of artificial stones - emeralds, aquamarines, for the needs of the jewelry industry. Beryllium was discovered while studying the properties of beryl, a semi-precious stone. In 1828, the German scientist F. Wöller obtained metallic beryllium. It does not interact with X-ray radiation, therefore, it is actively used to create special devices. In addition, beryllium alloys are used in the manufacture of neutron reflectors and moderators for installation in a nuclear reactor. Its fire-resistant and anti-corrosion properties, high thermal conductivity make it an indispensable element for creating alloys used in aircraft construction and the aerospace industry.
This metal was discovered in the Middle Urals. M.V. wrote about him. Lomonosov in his work “The First Foundations of Metallurgy” in 1763. It is very widespread, its most famous and extensive deposits are located in South Africa, Kazakhstan and Russia (Urals). The content of this metal in ores varies greatly. Its color is light blue, with a tint. In its pure form it is very hard and can be processed quite well. It serves as an important component for the creation of alloy steels, especially stainless steels, used in the electroplating and aerospace industries. Its alloy with iron, ferrochrome, is necessary for the production of metal-cutting tools.
This metal is considered valuable, since its properties are only slightly lower than those of noble metals. It has strong resistance to various acids and is not susceptible to corrosion. Tantalum is used in various designs and compounds, for the manufacture of products of complex shapes and as a basis for the production of acetic and phosphoric acids. The metal is used in medicine because it can be combined with human tissue. The rocket industry needs the heat-resistant alloy of tantalum and tungsten because it can withstand temperatures of 2,500 °C. Tantalum capacitors are installed on radar devices and used in electronic systems as transmitters.
Iridium is considered one of the strongest metals in the world. The metal is silver in color and very hard. It is classified as a platinum group metal. It is difficult to process and, moreover, refractory. Iridium practically does not interact with caustic substances. It is used in many industries. Including in jewelry, medical and chemical industries. Significantly improves the resistance of tungsten, chromium and titanium compounds to acidic environments. Pure iridium is not toxic, but its individual compounds may be.
Despite the fact that many metals have decent characteristics, it is quite difficult to pinpoint exactly which is the strongest metal in the world. To do this, all their parameters are studied in accordance with various analytical systems. But at present, all scientists claim that iridium confidently occupies first place in terms of strength.