From multi-level parking garages to skyscrapers amidst a bustling city, modern industrial processes need materials that are capable of withstanding a lot. On the hunt for strong materials, engineers turn to metals, thanks in part to their strength, availability, and versatility. But with so many different types of metals available, which ones are the strongest?
What Makes a Metal Strong?
The strength of a metal depends on four properties:
- Tensile Strength: How well a metal resists being pulled apart
- Compressive Strength: How well a material resists being squashed together
- Yield Strength: How well a rod or beam of a particular metal resists bending and permanent damage
- Impact Strength: The ability to resist shattering upon impact with another object or surface
- Here are the top 10 metals based on these properties.
The use of metals and the advancement of human civilization have gone hand in hand — and throughout the ages, each metal has proved its worth based on its properties and applications.
Today’s visualization from Viking Steel Structures outlines the 10 strongest metals on Earth and their applications.
The Top 10 Strongest Metals
| Rank | Type of Metal | Example Use | Atomic Weight | Melting Point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tungsten | Making bullets and missiles | 183.84 u | 3422°C / 6192 °F |
| #2 | Steel | Construction of railroads, roads, other infrastructure and appliances | n/a | 1371°C / 2500°F |
| #3 | Chromium | Manufacturing stainless steel | 51.96 u | 1907°C / 3465°F, |
| #4 | Titanium | In the aerospace Industry, as a lightweight material with strength | 47.87 u | 1668°C / 3032°F |
| #5 | Iron | Used to make bridges, electricity, pylons, bicycle chains, cutting tools and rifle barrels | 55.85 u | 1536°C / 2800°F |
| #6 | Vanadium | 80% of vanadium is alloyed with iron to make steel shock and corrosion resistance | 50.942 u | 1910°C / 3470°F |
| #7 | Lutetium | Used as catalysts in petroleum production. | 174.96 u | 1663 °C / 3025°F |
| #8 | Zirconium | Used in nuclear power stations. | 91.22 u | 1850°C / 3.362°F |
| #9 | Osmium | Added to platinum or indium to make them harder. | 190.2 u | 3000°C / 5,400°F |
| #10 | Tantalum | Used as an alloy due to its high melting point and anti-corrosion. | 180.94 u | 3,017°C / 5462°F |
Out of the Forge and into Tech: Metals for the Future
While these metals help to forge the modern world, there is a new class of metals that are set to create a new future.
Rare Earth elements (REEs) are a group of metals do not rely on their strength, but instead their importance in applications in new technologies, including those used for green energy.
| Metal | Uses |
|---|---|
| Neodymium | Magnets containing neodymium are used in green technologies such as the manufacture of wind turbines and hybrid cars. |
| Lanthanum | Used in catalytic converters in cars, enabling them to run at high temperatures |
| Cerium | This element is used in camera and telescope lenses. |
| Praseodymium | Used to create strong metals for use in aircraft engines. |
| Gadolinium | Used in X-ray and MRI scanning systems, and also in television screens. |
| Yttrium, terbium, europium | Making televisions and computer screens and other devices that have visual displays. |
If the world is going to move towards a more sustainable and efficient future, metals—both tough and smart—are going to be critical. Each one will serve a particular purpose to build the infrastructure and technology for the next generation.
