Top 5 Strongest Metals in the World

In modern society, we rely on different metals for all sorts of things, particularly in construction and technology. They form the foundations and frameworks of our buildings, the bodies of our vehicles, and the intricate mechanisms in our beloved mobile phones. In short – they’re indispensible.

Although metals tend to have a variety of useful properties, there is one particular property that all metals tend to share which we value the most: strength. So, in this article, the team at Hill Metal Recycling are going to talk about the five strongest metals on our planet.

Different types of strength

The strength of a metal can be measured in four different ways:

• Yield strength – measures the amount of stress a metal can withstand until damage is caused.
• Compressive strength – measures the degree of squeezing stress that will begin to cause damage.
• Tensile strength – measures the amount of pulling stress a metal can take until damage is caused.
• Impact strength – measures the lowest amount of impact energy which will fracture a particular metal.

The five strongest metals

Osmium

One of the less well-known metals on the list, osmium is a bluish white colour, extremely tough and has a melting point of 3030 degrees celsius. Also, it’s one of the densest naturally occurring metals. Thanks to its supreme strength, osmium is commonly used in fountain pen nib tipping and electrical circuit components.

Steel

Steel is certainly the most common metal on the list, and has been used by humans for centuries; roughly 1.3 billion tonnes of steel is produced every year! It holds up our buildings, forms the shells of our vehicles, and is arguably one of the most useful and ubiquitous materials of the modern world. It is an alloy of iron and carbon, and often comes in the form of stainless steel, which is partly constituted by chromium.

Chromium

Chromium, arguably the strongest metal of the five, is a distinctive silvery colour and, as stated earlier, is commonly alloyed with steel to create stainless steel. It has a variety of uses, for example, chrome plating, pigment production and even tanning.

Titanium

Titanium, unlike osmium, has a very low density but a high strength. Consequently, titanium is noted for having the highest tensile strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element on the periodic table. Titanium is often alloyed with iron and aluminium, creating extremely light alloys which are invaluable across a number of applications such as aerospace and military engineering.

Tungsten

A particularly rare metal, tungsten is a silvery grey colour and is often alloyed with steel, greatly increasing its toughness. However, alone, tungsten has the highest melting point and also the highest tensile strength of any pure metal on the periodic table, making it a top contender for the strongest metal on the planet.

At Hill Metal Recycling we pride ourselves on the fact that we are the leading recycler of ferrous and non-ferrous metals throughout Harlow, Hertfordshire and the surrounding areas.

We are widely qualified, experienced and also affiliated with the DVLA and the Environment Agency. As such, we are able to appropriately handle and dispose of all types of scrap metal.

We also offer a 24 hour scrap collection service for commercial and some domestic needs. So, to discuss recycling your scrap metals, don’t hesitate to contact our friendly team today!