The hardest metal of the platinum group. Which metal is the hardest and which is the softest?

Because they have the highest density. Among them, the heaviest are osmium and iridium. This indicator of the density of these metals is almost the same, except for a slight calculation error.

The discovery of iridium occurred in 1803. It was discovered by the English chemist Smithson Tennat while studying natural platinum, delivered from South America. Translated from ancient Greek, the name “iridium” means “rainbow”.

Scientific interest as a source electrical energy represents an isotope of heavy metal - iridium-192m2, since this metal is very long - 241 years. Wide Application Iridium was found in industry and paleontology - it is used to produce pen feathers and determine the age of earth layers.

The discovery of osmium happened by accident in 1804. This one hard metal was discovered in chemical composition sediment of platinum dissolved in aqua regia. The name "osmium" comes from the ancient Greek word for "smell". This metal is almost absent in nature. It is most often found in the composition. Just 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, is mined in Russian and American mines. However, South Africa is recognized as its richest deposit. Osmium is often found in iron meteorites.

Of particular interest is osmium-187, exported only by Kazakhstan. 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. Quite rarely, cutting parts for instruments in surgery are made from this metal.

Both heavy metals - osmium and iridium - are almost always contained in the same alloy. This is a definite pattern. And to separate them you need to put in a lot of effort, because they are not as soft as, for example, silver.

Our world is full amazing facts, which are interesting to many people. The properties of various metals are no exception. Among these elements, of which there are 94 in the world, there are the most ductile and malleable, and there are also those with high electrical conductivity or a high resistance coefficient. This article will talk about the hardest metals, as well as their unique properties.

Iridium ranks first in the list of metals that are distinguished by the greatest hardness. It was opened in early XIX century chemist from England Smithson Tennant. Iridium has the following physical properties:

• has a silvery-white color;
• its melting point is 2466 o C;
• boiling point – 4428 o C;
• resistance – 5.3·10−8Ohm·m.

Because iridium is the hardest metal on the planet, it is difficult to process. But it is still used in various industrial fields. For example, it is used to make small balls that are used in pen nibs. Iridium is used to make components for space rockets, some car parts and more.

Very little iridium occurs in nature. Findings of this metal are a kind of evidence that meteorites fell in the place where it was discovered. These cosmic bodies contain significant amounts of metal. Scientists believe that our planet is also rich in iridium, but its deposits are closer to the Earth's core.

The second position on our list goes to ruthenium. The discovery of this inert silvery metal belongs to the Russian chemist Karl Klaus, which was made in 1844. This element belongs to the platinum group. It is a rare metal. Scientists have been able to establish that there is approximately 5 thousand tons of ruthenium on the planet. It is possible to extract approximately 18 tons of metal per year.

Because of limited quantity and high cost, ruthenium is rarely used in industry. It is used in the following cases:

• it's not a large number of added to titanium to improve corrosion properties;
• its alloy with platinum is used to make electrical contacts that are highly resistant;
• ruthenium is often used as a catalyst for chemical reactions.

A metal called tantalum, discovered in 1802, takes third place on our list. It was discovered by the Swedish chemist A. G. Ekeberg. For a long time it was believed that tantalum is identical to niobium. But German chemist Heinrich Rose managed to prove that these are two different element. Select tantalum in pure form was possible by scientist Werner Bolton from Germany in 1922. This is a very rare metal. The largest deposits of tantalum ore were discovered in Western Australia.

Thanks to your unique properties, tantalum is a highly sought after metal. It is used in various fields:

• in medicine, tantalum is used to make wire and other elements that can hold tissue together and even act as a bone substitute;
• alloys with this metal are resistant to aggressive environments, which is why they are used in the manufacture of aerospace equipment and electronics;
• tantalum is also used to create energy in nuclear reactors;
• the element is widely used in the chemical industry.

Chromium is one of the hardest metals. It was discovered in Russia in 1763 in a deposit in the Northern Urals. It has a bluish-white color, although there are cases where it is considered a black metal. Chrome cannot be called a rare metal. The following countries are rich in its deposits:

• Kazakhstan;
• Russia;
• Madagascar;
• Zimbabwe.

There are chromium deposits in other countries as well. This metal is widely used in various branches of metallurgy, science, mechanical engineering and others.

The fifth position in the list of the hardest metals goes to beryllium. Its discovery belongs to the chemist Louis Nicolas Vauquelin from France, which was made in 1798. This metal has a silvery-white color. Despite its hardness, beryllium is a brittle material, which makes it very difficult to process. It is used to create high-quality loudspeakers. It is used to create jet fuel and refractory materials. The metal is widely used in the creation of aerospace technology and laser systems. It is also used in nuclear energy and in the manufacture of X-ray equipment.

The list of the hardest metals also includes osmium. It is an element belonging to the platinum group, and its properties are similar to iridium. This refractory metal is resistant to aggressive environments, has a high density, and is difficult to process. It was discovered by the scientist Smithson Tennant from England in 1803. This metal is widely used in medicine. Elements of pacemakers are made from it, and it is also used to create the pulmonary valve. It is also widely used in the chemical industry and for military purposes.

The transition silver metal rhenium takes the seventh position on our list. The assumption about the existence of this element was made by D.I. Mendeleev in 1871, and chemists from Germany managed to discover it in 1925. Just 5 years after this, it was possible to establish the extraction of this rare, durable and refractory metal. At that time, it was possible to obtain 120 kg of rhenium per year. Now the amount of annual metal production has increased to 40 tons. It is used for the production of catalysts. It is also used to make electrical contacts that can self-clean.

Silver-gray tungsten is not only one of the hardest metals, it also leads in refractoriness. It can only be melted at a temperature of 3422 o C. Thanks to this property, it is used to create incandescent elements. Alloys made from this element have high strength and are often used for military purposes. Tungsten is also used to make surgical instruments. It is also used to make containers in which radioactive materials are stored.

One of the hardest metals is uranium. It was discovered in 1840 by the chemist Peligo. D.I. Mendeleev made a great contribution to the study of the properties of this metal. The radioactive properties of uranium were discovered by the scientist A. A. Becquerel in 1896. Then a chemist from France called the detected metal radiation Becquerel rays. Uranium is often found in nature. Countries with the largest deposits uranium ore, are Australia, Kazakhstan and Russia.

The final place in the top ten hardest metals goes to titanium. For the first time this element was obtained in its pure form by the chemist J. Ya. Berzelius from Sweden in 1825. Titanium is a lightweight silver-white metal that is highly durable and resistant to corrosion and mechanical stress. Titanium alloys are used in many branches of mechanical engineering, medicine and the chemical industry.

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. IN earth's crust it 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, missiles 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 more resistant material, while being compatible with body tissues. And then they remembered the gold that long years used in prosthetics.

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 most large deposits 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 for a long time is being researched, 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 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.

The hardest metal is chrome, titanium.

Chromium— element of the secondary subgroup of the sixth group of the fourth period of the periodic table chemical elements Mendeleev D.I., with atomic number 24. Denoted by the symbol Cr (Latin: Chromium). The simple substance chromium (CAS number: 7440-47-3) is a hard metal of a bluish-white color.

Chromium occurs in nature mainly in the form of chromium iron ore Fe(CrO2)2 (iron chromite). Ferrochrome is obtained from it by reduction in electric furnaces with coke (carbon):
FeO Cr2O3 + 4C → Fe + 2Cr + 4CO

Chromium is a fairly common element; its content in the earth's crust is approximately 0.02% (22nd place).

Ferrochrome is used for the production of alloy steels.

To obtain pure chromium, the reaction is carried out as follows:

1) melt iron chromite with sodium carbonate (soda ash) in air:
4Fe(CrO2)2 + 8Na2CO3 + 7O2 → 8Na2CrO4 + 2Fe2O3 + 8CO2

2) dissolve sodium chromate and separate it from iron oxide;

3) convert the chromate to dichromate, acidifying the solution and crystallizing the dichromate;

4) pure chromium oxide is obtained by reducing dichromate with coal:
Na2Cr2O7 + 2C → Cr2O3 + Na2CO3 + CO

5) metallic chromium is obtained using aluminothermy:
Cr2O3+ 2Al → Al2O3 + 2Cr + 130 kcal

6) using electrolysis, electrolytic chromium is obtained from a solution of chromic anhydride in water containing the addition of sulfuric acid. In this case, mainly 3 processes take place at the cathodes:
reduction of hexavalent chromium to trivalent chromium with its transition into solution;
discharge of hydrogen ions with the release of hydrogen gas;
discharge of ions containing hexavalent chromium with precipitation of metallic chromium;
Cr2O72− + 14Н+ + 12е− = 2Cr + 7H2O

Receiptchromium

The raw material for the industrial production of chromium is chromium iron ore. Its chemical processing leads to Cr2O3. Reduction of Cr2O3 with aluminum or silicon produces chromium metal of low purity:
Cr2O3+Al=Al2O3+2Cr
2Cr2O3+3Si=3SiO2+4Cr
Purer metal is obtained by electrolysis concentrated solutions chromium compounds.

Titanium - (Latin Titanium; denoted by the symbol Ti) is an element of the secondary subgroup of the fourth group, the fourth period of the periodic table of chemical elements of D.I. Mendeleev, with atomic number 22. The simple substance titanium (CAS number: 7440-32-6) - light metal of silvery-white color. Exists in two crystal modifications: α-Ti with a hexagonal close-packed lattice, β-Ti with cubic body-centered packing, α↔β transition temperature 883 °C

The softest metals are potassium, rubidium, cesium.

Potassium- an element of the main subgroup of the first group, the fourth period of the periodic system of chemical elements of Mendeleev D.I., with atomic number 19. Denoted by the symbol K (Latin Kalium). Simple substance potassium (CAS number: 7440-09-7) - soft alkali metal silver-white color.
In nature, potassium is found only in compounds with other elements, for example, in sea ​​water, as well as in many minerals. It oxidizes very quickly in air and very easily enters chemical reactions, especially with water, forming an alkali. IN many respects Chemical properties potassium are very close to sodium, but from the point of view of biological function and their use by the cells of living organisms, they are still different.

Rubidium- an element of the main subgroup of the first group, the fifth period of the periodic system of chemical elements of D.I. Mendeleev, with atomic number 37. Denoted by the symbol Rb (Latin Rubidium). The simple substance rubidium (CAS number: 7440-17-7) is a soft alkali metal with a silvery-white color.

Cesium- an element of the main subgroup of the first group of the sixth period of the periodic system of chemical elements of D.I. Mendeleev, atomic number 55. Denoted by the symbol Cs (lat. Caesium). The simple substance cesium (CAS number: 7440-46-2) is a soft alkali metal of a silvery-yellow color. Cesium received its name for the presence of two bright blue lines in the emission spectrum (from the Latin caesius - sky blue).

- First of all, tell me, Panama, what kind of people do you know? metals?
- Iron.
- And what else?
- More? No, I don't know anymore.
- You know, you know. Think carefully, remember. Okay, I'll give you a hint. So tell me, what is the fishing rod sinker made of?
- Made of lead.
- What is mom’s ring made of?
- Made of gold.
- Right. But both lead and gold are metals. The pan is aluminum, which means metal, the mortar and pestle are brass, the metal wires, if you scrape off the plastic “clothing” from them, are copper, metal. There's a lot more in the world different metals! And many of them amazing properties. Which? But answer my questions: is it necessary? metals drown in water?
- Necessarily. Even the needle sinks. I have seen.
- So, Panama, there are such light metals that float in water like a cork. One of them is called lithium. It is lighter than water... I don’t remember how much. Bumka probably knows.
- HELLO, TURNING ON.
LITHIUM IS TWICE LIGHTER THAN WATER AND 15 TIMES LIGHTER THAN IRON. LITHIUM IS A COMPONENT OF MORE THAN 150 MINERALS IT IS IN ALMOST EVERY STONE AND THAT IS WHY IT GOT THIS NAME: THE GREEK WORD “LITHOS” MEANS “STONE”. THIS SILVER-WHITE METAL IS IN HOT
IN FURNACES THEY ARE MELT AND MIXED WITH OTHER METALS. ALLOYS ARE OBTAINED. ALUMINUM IS NOT VERY STRONG, BUT IF YOU ALLOY IT WITH LITHIUM, THE RESULTS ARE A MUCH STRONGER METAL.
- Thank you, Bumka. I ask new question: Do metals get sick?
- Are they sick?! That's funny!
So, a water tap can cause a runny nose, and a penknife can cause whooping cough?
Hilarious!
- Metals still hurt.
Isn't the rust we talked about recently a disease of metals? They even “die” from it and are destroyed. There was steel, but it lay in the water for a long time - it collapsed and became covered with red rust. Tron will crumble into powder. No wonder people say: rust (that is, rust) eats iron. So I ate it. Now answer - is metal liquid? Not when it is melted in a hot oven, but always liquid?
- Liquid metal, grandfather Do you know? Yes, it's the same as " hot Ice»!
“So you’re saying it doesn’t happen?” Have you forgotten about mercury, which shows the temperature in a thermometer? This is a real liquid metal! If you accidentally drop or break the thermometer, the mercury will spread across the floor in small balls. If you collect them, they will instantly merge into one. This one is hardening liquid metal only in very severe frost.
By the way, mercury is needed not only for thermometers. It is also necessary for tube lamps that provide bright daylight. Mercury is part of the paints that cover the bottoms of ships. After this, ships do not rust as much even in salty sea water and their bottoms are less overgrown with shells and algae.
Well, in the end, let's answer the question: which metal is the strongest, which is the softest?
First, about the most durable. It is silvery-white in color and is called titanium. Titanium is 12 times harder than aluminum, 4 times harder than iron and copper. If you heat other metals, they will immediately lose their strength. But titanium... the temperature is 500 degrees, and it is still as durable as it was. It’s not for nothing that many parts of jet aircraft are made of titanium. This metal is so strong that it can only be crushed by the most powerful hammer machines.
But sodium (also silvery-white), even though it is metal, doesn’t cost anything to flatten with your fingers. And magnesium is famous for its good combustion. Yes, yes - metal, but it burns! He brought a lit match to the thin shavings of magnesium and it flared up.

Here's the answer to your question: Which metal is the hardest and which is the softest?

Everything you need to know about titanium, plus chromium and tungsten

Many people are interested in the question: what is the hardest metal in the world? This is titanium. This solid substance will be the focus of most of the article. Let's also get acquainted a little with such hard metals as chromium and tungsten.

9 interesting facts about titanium

1. There are several versions of why the metal got its name. One theory is that he was named after the Titans, fearless supernatural creatures. According to another version, the name comes from Titania, the queen of fairies.
2. Titanium was discovered at the end of the 18th century by a German and English chemist.
3. Titanium has not been used in industry for a long time due to its natural fragility.
4. At the beginning of 1925, after a series of experiments, chemists obtained titanium in its pure form.
5. Titanium shavings are highly flammable.
6. It is one of the lightest metals.
7. Titanium can only melt at temperatures above 3200 degrees.
8. Boils at a temperature of 3300 degrees.
9. Titanium has a silver color.

History of the discovery of titanium

The metal, which was later named titanium, was discovered by two scientists - the Englishman William Gregor and the German Martin Gregor Klaproth. The scientists worked in parallel and did not intersect with each other. The difference between discoveries is 6 years.

William Gregor gave his discovery a name: manakin.

More than 30 years later, the first titanium alloy was obtained, which turned out to be extremely brittle and could not be used anywhere. It is believed that only in 1925 titanium was isolated in its pure form, which became one of the most popular metals in industry.

It has been proven that the Russian scientist Kirillov managed to extract pure titanium in 1875. He published a brochure detailing his work. However, the research of a little-known Russian went unnoticed.

General information about titanium

Titanium alloys are a salvation for mechanics and engineers. For example, the body of an airplane is made of titanium. During flight, it reaches speeds several times greater than the speed of sound. The titanium case heats up to temperatures above 300 degrees and does not melt.

The metal closes the top ten of “The most common metals in nature.” Large deposits have been discovered in South Africa, China and a lot of titanium in Japan, India, and Ukraine.

The total world reserve of titans amounts to more than 700 million tons. If production rates remain the same, there will be enough titanium for another 150-160 years.

The largest producer of the hardest metal in the world is the Russian enterprise VSMPO-Avisma, which satisfies a third of the world's needs.

Properties of titanium

1. Corrosion resistance.
2. High mechanical strength.
3. Low density.

The atomic weight of titanium is 47.88 amu, serial number V chemical table Mendeleev - 22. Outwardly it is very similar to steel.

The mechanical density of the metal is 6 times greater than that of aluminum, 2 times higher than that of iron. It can combine with oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen. When paired with carbon, the metal forms incredibly hard carbides.

The thermal conductivity of titanium is 4 times less than that of iron, and 13 times less than that of aluminum.

Titanium mining process

There is a large amount of titanium in the earth, however, extracting it from the depths costs a lot of money. For production, the iodide method is used, the author of which is considered to be Van Arkel de Boer.

The method is based on the ability of the metal to combine with iodine; after decomposition of this compound, pure titanium, free of foreign impurities, can be obtained.

The most interesting things made of titanium:

• prostheses in medicine;
• mobile device boards;
• rocket systems for space exploration;
• pipelines, pumps;
• awnings, cornices, external cladding of buildings;
• most parts (chassis, trim).

Areas of application of titanium

Titanium is actively used in the military sphere, medicine, and jewelry. It was given the unofficial name “metal of the future.” Many say that it helps turn dreams into reality.

The hardest metal in the world was initially used in the military and defense sphere. Today, the main consumer of titanium products is the aircraft industry.

Titanium is a universal construction material. For many years it was used to create aircraft turbines. In aircraft engines, fan elements, compressors, and disks are made from titanium.

Modern design aircraft can contain up to 20 tons of titanium alloy.

The main areas of application of titanium in aircraft construction:

• products spatial form(edging of doors, hatches, trim, flooring);
• units and components that are subject to heavy loads (wing brackets, landing gear, hydraulic cylinders);
• engine parts (housing, compressor blades).

Thanks to titanium, man was able to pass through the sound barrier and break into space. It was used to create manned missile systems. Titan can withstand cosmic radiation, temperature changes, movement speed.

This metal has a low density, which is important in the shipbuilding industry. Products made of titanium are lightweight, which means the weight is reduced and its maneuverability, speed, and range are increased. If a ship's hull is sheathed with titanium, it will not need to be painted for many years - titanium does not rust in sea water (corrosion resistance).

Most often, this metal is used in shipbuilding for the manufacture of turbine engines, steam boilers, and condenser pipes.

Oil industry and titanium

Ultra-deep drilling is considered a promising area for the use of titanium alloys. To study and extract underground resources, it is necessary to penetrate deep underground - over 15 thousand meters. Aluminum drill pipes, for example, will rupture due to their own gravity, and only titanium alloys can reach truly great depths.

Not so long ago, titanium began to be actively used to create wells on the sea shelves. Specialists use titanium alloys as equipment:

• oil production installations;
• high pressure vessels;
• deep-sea pumps, pipelines.

Titanium in sports, medicine

Titanium is extremely popular in sports field because of its strength and lightness. Several decades ago, a bicycle was made from titanium alloys, the first sports equipment made from the hardest material in the world. A modern bicycle consists of a titanium body, the same brake and seat springs.

Titanium golf clubs have been created in Japan. These devices are lightweight and durable, but extremely expensive.

Most of the items that are in the backpack of climbers and travelers are made from titanium - tableware, cooking sets, racks for strengthening tents. Titanium ice axes are very popular sports equipment.

This metal is in great demand in the medical industry. Most surgical instruments are made from titanium - lightweight and convenient.

Another area of ​​application of metal of the future is the creation of prosthetics. Titanium “combines” perfectly with the human body. Doctors called this process “real kinship.” Titanium structures are safe for muscles and bones and rarely cause allergic reaction, are not destroyed by fluid in the body. Titanium prostheses are durable and can withstand enormous physical loads.

Titanium is an amazing metal. It helps a person achieve unprecedented heights in various areas of life. It is loved and revered for its strength, lightness and long years of service.

Chromium is one of the hardest metals

Interesting facts about chromium

1. The name of the metal comes from the Greek word “chroma”, which means paint.
2. B natural environment chromium is not found in pure form, but only in the form of chromium iron ore, double oxide.
3. The largest deposits of the metal are located in South Africa, Russia, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe.
4. Metal density – 7200 kg/m3.
5. Chrome melts at a temperature of 1907 degrees.
6. Boils at a temperature of 2671 degrees.
7. Absolutely pure chromium without impurities is characterized by ductility and viscosity. When combined with oxygen, nitrogen or hydrogen, the metal becomes brittle and very hard.
8. This silvery-white metal was discovered by the Frenchman Louis Nicolas Vauquelin at the end of the 18th century.

Properties of chromium metal

Chromium has very high hardness and can cut glass. It is not oxidized by air or moisture. If the metal is heated, oxidation will occur only on the surface.

More than 15,000 tons of pure chromium are consumed per year. The leader in the production of pure chromium is considered English company Bell Metals.

The United States consumes the most chromium. Western countries Europe and Japan. The chrome market is volatile and prices span a wide range.

Areas of use of chromium

Most often used to create alloys and galvanic coatings (chrome plating for transport).

Chromium is added to steel, which improves physical properties metal These alloys are most in demand in ferrous metallurgy.

The most popular grade of steel consists of chromium (18%) and nickel (8%). Such alloys have excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion, and are durable even at high temperatures.

Heating furnaces are made from steel, which contains a third of chromium.

What else is made from chromium?

1. Firearm barrels.
2. Submarine hull.
3. Bricks, which are used in metallurgy.

Another extremely hard metal is tungsten.

Interesting facts about tungsten

1. The name of the metal translated from German (“Wolf Rahm”) means “wolf foam.”
2. It is the most refractory metal in the world.
3. Tungsten has a light gray tint.
4. The metal was discovered at the end of the 18th century (1781) by the Swede Karl Scheele.
5. Tungsten melts at a temperature of 3422 degrees, boils at 5900.
6. Metal has a density of 19.3 g/cm³.
7. Atomic mass– 183.85, element of group VI c periodic table Mendeleev (serial number – 74).

Tungsten Mining Process

Tungsten belongs to large group rare metals. It also includes rubidium and molybdenum. This group is characterized by a low prevalence of metals in nature and a small scale of consumption.

The production of tungsten consists of 3 stages:

• separating metal from ore, accumulating it in solution;
• isolation of the compound, its purification;
• separation of pure metal from a finished chemical compound.
• The starting materials for producing tungsten are scheelite and wolframite.

Applications of tungsten

Tungsten is the basis of most strong alloys. It is used to make aircraft engines, parts of electric vacuum devices, and incandescent filaments.
The high density of the metal allows the use of tungsten to create ballistic missiles, bullets, counterweights, artillery shells.

Tungsten-based compounds are used for processing other metals, in the mining industry (well drilling), paint and varnish, and textiles (as a catalyst for organic synthesis).

From complex tungsten compounds they make:

• wires – used in heating furnaces;
• tapes, foil, plates, sheets - for rolling and flat forging.

Titanium, chromium and tungsten top the list of "The Hardest Metals in the World." They are used in many areas of human activity - aviation and rocketry, military field, construction, and at the same time, this is not the full range of applications of metals.