Strongest Metals
Metal is a crucial material in today's world. It's used in various industrial sectors like medicine, building construction, jewellery, clothing, machinery, automobiles, farming, furniture security, and many others.
Different metals come with different properties. One of the most considered properties when choosing a metal for any project is its strength. In this list, we list some of the strongest metals in the world.
Types of Metal Strengths
Tensile strength
Tensile strength is the material's ability to resist tension. It is the amount of strength required to pull or stretch the metal apart.
Compressive strength
This is the metal's ability to withstand being squeezed or compressed. Compressive strength is tested using external forces that place pressure on the material.
Yield strength
Yield strength refers to the metal's ability to withstand permanent deformation or bending. It is the elastic limit of any given material, including metals.
Impact strength
Impact strength determines how much energy a metal can absorb through impact without shattering or fracturing.
With these types of strengths in mind, here are some of the strongest metals you can find:
1. Tungsten
Tungsten, which is Swedish for "heavy stone," is the strongest metal in the world. It was identified as a new element in 1781. It is commonly used to make bullets and missiles, metal evaporation work, manufacturing of paints, creating electron and Television tubes, and making glass to metal seals.
2. Steel
Steel is the second strongest and the most widely used metal in the world. It's an alloy of iron and carbon and contains small amounts of manganese, sulfur, oxygen phosphorus and silicon. It is considered an essential metal in engineering and construction and one of the most recycled metals.
It is commonly used in the construction of roads, railways, appliances, buildings, stadiums, skyscrapers, airports, and for reinforcing concrete structures.
3. Chromium
Chromium is a hard, lustrous, steel-gray metal often featured as an alloy in making stainless steel. Chromium makes this list based on its hardness, chromium is used in the plating on automobiles and is also a crucial dietary supplement often contained in organ meats, wheat germ, mushrooms, and broccoli.
4. Titanium
Titanium was discovered in 1790 and has five naturally occurring stable isotopes. Despite being a poor conductor of electricity, titanium has a resistance to corrosion and a high strength-to-weight ratio. It's commonly used in the aerospace market, in art and architecture, in medical devices, and various everyday products.
5. Iron
Iron is the sixth most common element in the universe and the most abundant element in the planet's total composition. It is used to manufacture steel and steel alloys like carbon steel. It also plays a crucial role in the making of bridges, electricity pylons, bicycle chains, cutting tools, and rifle barrels. Iron is also present in the red blood cells and acts as a micro-nutrient in plants.
6. Vanadium
Vanadium is classified as a transitional metal and named after an old Norse goddess. Most of the Vanadium is alloyed with iron to make shock and corrosion-resistant steel additives. It is also used to manufacture automobile components like the pistons and is vital in refining uranium for nuclear purposes.
7. Lutetium
Lutetium is one of the most expensive rare earth metals and is never found on earth in a pure state. It’s named after an ancient name for Paris and was discovered in 1907. It's commonly used as a catalyst in hydrogenation, cracking, alkylation and polymerization. Some types of lutetium are used as a form of cancer treatment, while others are used for radiometric dating of meteorites.
Each of these metals has unique properties that make it ideal for various applications in the world. Matching the right metal requirement is critical to the success of the application.
