What Makes a Metal Strong? Definitions, Applications & Exam Tips
Which metal is the strongest metal on earth? One of those questions that appears straightforward but is pretty difficult. Direct comparisons based on strength don't hold when it comes to metal. Why? Because there isn't a single, scale for measuring strength. There are four most important parameters that contribute to the general concept of metallic strength. I will describe these four forms of strength before providing some analysis and comparisons of the metals with the highest levels of strength.
Tensile Strength
A material's capacity to withstand tension is referred to as its tensile strength. In other words, it considers how much force is necessary to stretch or tear anything apart. In comparison to a material with great tensile strength, one with low tensile strength would be easier to rip apart.
Compressive Strength
The ability of a substance to survive being crushed together is known as its compressive strength (compressed). An external force is applied to a material to test its compressive strength, measuring how much it can withstand size reduction. The Mohs Hardness Test is a widely used method for determining compressive strength.
Yield Strength
It describes a material's capacity to sustain bending or permanent deformation. It's a technique for determining a material's elastic limit. often determined using a bend test that applies tension to the two ends of a beam or bar while they are held in place. The goal is to determine the amount of tension needed to exceed the material's yield point or the point at which the material won't deform once the stress is removed.
Impact Strength
The term "impact strength" describes a material's capacity to withstand force without breaking or fracture. In other words, it's a technique for figuring out the maximum amount of energy that a material can absorb by impact.
List of Strongest Metals
Tungsten
Tungsten, often known as "heavy stone" in Swedish, is the world's strongest metal. In 1781, it was recognized as a novel element. It is frequently used to manufacture paints, bullets, missiles, electron and television tubes, glass to metal seals, and metal evaporation equipment.
Steel
The most popular and second-strongest metal in use today is steel. It is an iron and carbon alloy with trace elements of silicon, phosphorus, oxygen, and manganese. It is one of the most recycled metals and is regarded as a necessary metal in engineering and building.
Chromium
Chromium is a steel-gray, strong, glossy metal that is frequently used as an alloy in the production of stainless steel. Because of its hardness, chromium is utilized in the plating of automobiles and is a vital dietary supplement that is frequently found in organ meats, wheat germ, mushrooms, and broccoli. It also makes this list due to its hardness.
Titanium
There are five stable isotopes of titanium that are found naturally, and it was identified in 1790. Titanium has a high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to corrosion despite being a poor conductor of electricity. It is frequently utilized in the aerospace industry, as well as in design and architecture, medical equipment, and several everyday items.
Iron
Iron is the most common element on Earth and the sixth most available element in the universe. Steel and steel alloys like carbon steel are produced using it. Additionally, it is essential in the production of rifle barrels, bicycle chains, bicycle chains for bicycles, and electrical pylons.
Vanadium
The transitional metal vanadium was given the name of an ancient Norse deity. To create steel additives that are shock- and corrosion-resistant, the majority of the vanadium is alloyed with iron. The refinement of uranium for nuclear use and the production of vehicle parts like pistons both depend on it.
Lutetium
One of the costliest rare earth metals, lutetium is never discovered in its pure form on earth. It was founded in 1907 and is called after an old name for Paris. In the processes of hydrogenation, cracking, alkylation, and polymerization, it is frequently utilized as a catalyst.
Interesting Fact
Except for mercury, which is a liquid at ambient temperature, all metals are solids.
Contrary to what you may have read in books and seen in movies, most radioactive substances don't glow at night. However, some radioactive metals either emit radiation that interacts and generates visible light or glow from internal heat.
Solved Problems
1. What factor decreases the tensile strength?
Ans: When the temperature increases the tensile strength decreases due to softening of material at very high temperatures. We use UTM (Universal Testing Machine) to check the tensile strength of a material.
2. What is the impact strength of any material?
Ans: Impact strength, which is measured in terms of energy, is a material's capacity to sustain an abruptly applied load. Frequently determined using the Charpy impact test or the Izod impact strength test, both of which assess the force necessary to break a sample.
Summary
If we want to compare the metal we have to consider all its strengths and properties, only then we are able to find out which is the strongest metal in the world. As we saw every metal has its own unique strength that makes it different from other metals. And all these strengths also help us to understand where we can use which metal according to the requirement.
FAQs on Strongest Metals: Key Concepts & Examples
1. What are the top 5 strongest naturally occurring metals?
The strength of a metal can be measured in different ways, but based on tensile strength and hardness, the top strongest naturally occurring metals are typically considered to be:
- Tungsten (W): Possesses the highest tensile strength of any pure metal, meaning it is the most resistant to being pulled apart.
- Chromium (Cr): Known for its exceptional hardness and resistance to scratching, making it an excellent protective coating.
- Titanium (Ti): Famous for its superior strength-to-weight ratio, offering great strength in a lightweight form.
- Osmium (Os): Extremely dense and hard, but also very brittle.
- Iridium (Ir): Very hard, brittle, and the most corrosion-resistant metal known.
It is important to note that many alloys, like steel, are engineered to be stronger than these pure elemental metals for specific applications.
2. How is the 'strength' of a metal defined in chemistry?
In chemistry and materials science, a metal's 'strength' is not a single value but a combination of several distinct properties that describe its response to external forces. Key types of strength include:
- Tensile Strength: The maximum stress a metal can withstand while being stretched or pulled before necking, which is when the specimen's cross-section starts to significantly contract.
- Hardness: The ability to resist localised plastic deformation such as scratching or indentation.
- Toughness (Impact Strength): The capacity of a metal to absorb energy and deform without fracturing when subjected to a sudden shock or impact.
- Compressive Strength: The ability to withstand being pushed or compressed without buckling or breaking.
A metal's suitability for an application depends on which of these properties is most important.
3. Is Tungsten stronger than Titanium?
Yes, in terms of pure tensile strength, Tungsten is significantly stronger than Titanium. However, the comparison isn't that simple. Titanium has a much lower density, giving it a far superior strength-to-weight ratio. This means a component made of Titanium will be much lighter than a Tungsten component of the same strength. Furthermore, Tungsten is very brittle and can fracture under sudden impact, whereas Titanium has better toughness and ductility, allowing it to bend and absorb energy before breaking.
4. What is the difference between the strongest metal and the densest metal?
Strength and density are two independent physical properties.
- Strength refers to a metal's ability to resist deformation or fracture under force. The naturally occurring metal with the highest tensile strength is Tungsten (W).
- Density is the measure of a metal's mass per unit volume (i.e., how heavy it is for its size). The densest known metal is Osmium (Os), which is approximately twice as dense as lead.
Therefore, the strongest metal (Tungsten) and the densest metal (Osmium) are not the same element.
5. Why are alloys like steel often preferred over pure strong metals like Tungsten?
Alloys like steel are often preferred over pure metals such as Tungsten for several practical reasons. While Tungsten has immense strength, it is also very dense, brittle, and has an extremely high melting point, making it difficult and expensive to work with. Alloys, which are mixtures of metals, can be engineered to have a specific, desirable balance of properties. For example, steel (an iron-carbon alloy) offers a fantastic combination of high strength, toughness (resistance to fracture), and lower cost, making it more versatile for widespread applications like construction and manufacturing.
6. What are some real-world examples of how strong metals and their alloys are used?
The unique properties of strong metals and alloys lead to their use in specialised, high-performance applications:
- Tungsten: Used in high-temperature applications like filaments in older incandescent light bulbs, heating elements in furnaces, and in hard alloys like tungsten carbide for cutting tools and armour-piercing ammunition.
- Titanium Alloys: Essential in the aerospace industry for jet engine components and aircraft frames due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. They are also used in medical implants (like hip replacements) because they are biocompatible.
- Steel Alloys: Form the backbone of modern infrastructure, used in everything from skyscrapers and bridges (structural steel) to surgical tools (stainless steel) and automotive parts.
7. Can a metal be strong but not hard?
Yes, it is possible for a metal to be strong but not particularly hard. Strength (specifically tensile strength) refers to the ability to resist being pulled apart, while hardness is the resistance to surface scratching and indentation. A good example is pure copper. It is relatively strong and tough, able to stretch significantly before breaking, but it is also a soft metal that can be easily scratched. Conversely, a material can be very hard but not strong, like glass, which resists scratches but shatters easily under tension (i.e., it is brittle).
