Mining

Prove Your Metal: Top 10 Strongest Metals on Earth

Published

5 years ago

October 22, 2019

Nicholas LePan

Top 10 Strongest Metals on Earth

Prove Your Metal: Top 10 Strongest Metals on Earth

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.

What are Metals?

Metals are solid materials that are typically hard, shiny, malleable, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity. But not all metal is equal, which makes their uses as varied as their individual properties and benefits.

The periodic table below presents a simple view of the relationship between metals, nonmetals, and metalloids, which you can easily identify by color.

The Periodic Table

While 91 of the 118 elements of the periodic table are considered to be metals, only a few of them stand out as 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 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.

Our ability to deploy technology with the right materials will test the world’s mettle to meet the challenges of tomorrow—so choose wisely.

Related Topics:steel iron Rare Earth Elements tough materials

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Mining

Visualizing Global Gold Production in 2023

Gold production in 2023 was led by China, Australia, and Russia, with each outputting over 300 tonnes.

Published

3 days ago

April 30, 2024

Marcus Lu

Voronoi graphic showing gold production by country in 2023.

Visualizing Global Gold Production in 2023

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Over 3,000 tonnes of gold were produced globally in 2023.

In this graphic, we list the world’s leading countries in terms of gold production. These figures come from the latest USGS publication on gold statistics (published January 2024).

China, Australia, and Russia Produced the Most Gold in 2023

China was the top producer in 2023, responsible for over 12% of total global production, followed by Australia and Russia.

Country	Region	2023E Production (tonnes)
🇨🇳 China	Asia	370
🇦🇺 Australia	Oceania	310
🇷🇺 Russia	Europe	310
🇨🇦 Canada	North America	200
🇺🇸 United States	North America	170
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	Asia	130
🇲🇽 Mexico	North America	120
🇮🇩 Indonesia	Asia	110
🇿🇦 South Africa	Africa	100
🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	Asia	100
🇬🇭 Ghana	Africa	90
🇵🇪 Peru	South America	90
🇧🇷 Brazil	South America	60
🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	Africa	60
🇲🇱 Mali	Africa	60
🇹🇿 Tanzania	Africa	60
🌍 Rest of World	-	700

Gold mines in China are primarily concentrated in eastern provinces such as Shandong, Henan, Fujian, and Liaoning. As of January 2024, China’s gold mine reserves stand at an estimated 3,000 tonnes, representing around 5% of the global total of 59,000 tonnes.

In addition to being the top producer, China emerged as the largest buyer of the yellow metal for the year. In fact, the country’s central bank alone bought 225 tonnes of gold in 2023, according the World Gold Council.

Estimated Global Gold Consumption

Most of the gold produced in 2023 was used in jewelry production, while another significant portion was sold as a store of value, such as in gold bars or coins.

Jewelry: 46%
Central Banks and Institutions: 23%
Physical Bars: 16%
Official Coins, Medals, and Imitation Coins: 9%
Electrical and Electronics: 5%
Other: 1%

According to Fitch Solutions, over the medium term (2023-2032), global gold mine production is expected to grow 15%, as high prices encourage investment and output.