Top 10 Strongest Metal in the World

The strongest metals in the world
Jack Lie CNC machining expert

Specialize in CNC Milling, CNC Turning, 3D Printing, Urethane Casting, and Sheet Metal Fabrication Services.


There are innumerable metals in the World, such as titanium, steel, and tungsten. Still, the question is which the top 10 strongest metal in the World are. So, in this article, we will try to find the answer to this question. We will explore the top 10 strongest metals in the World.

There are many reasons to ascertain the strongest metals of the World. Designers, engineers, and scientists come across the need to understand the properties of the essential metals and their alloys. When realizing the strength of a metal or alloy, several factors need to be considered. The selection of the material should be accurate for the nature of the work required from that material. For example, if we take the steel into account, no other material can beat it for its overall strength. On the other hand, if we compare the hardness of materials, the tungsten remains unbeatable. At the same time, titanium possesses properties very close to both steel and tungsten.

Though grapheme is tougher and diamond is harder, we will confine our list to the strongest metals.

Properties of the Strongest Metal in the World

As mentioned earlier, when we talk about the strength of the material, there are a lot of properties that remain operational to know the strength. So, before discussing the strongest metals in the World, let us have a look at the properties that directly or indirectly affect their strength:

Tensile Strength

When we discuss tensile strength, we check out the measurement of the force needed to pull something like a wire, cable, rope, or structural beam to the point where it breaks. The measurement refers to the maximum stress amount before breaking, commonly measured in Psi.

Compressive Strength

The tensile strength can be referred to as a resistance offered by metal against a squeezing force that acts on it. In simple words, we can also relate it to the hardness of the material. Mainly, the tensile strength of the material is measured in Psi; meanwhile, the Mohs scale can also be used to measure the compressive strength of a material. On the scale, there is grading from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates the softest point and 10 indicates the hardest one. E.g., the compressive strength of diamond is 10 on the Mohs scale, which means that diamond is one of the hardest materials. At the same time, compressive strength is also an essential property of the tooling material.

Yield Strength

The yield strength of metal can be referred to as the property that resists against the permanent deformation or bending in that metal when stress is applied. For structural engineers, yield strength is significant. When the stress is applied to metal, it starts to bend; within an elastic state, the deformation in the metal is recoverable, and the material returns to its original shape. However, after the elastic state, the stress causes permanent deformation in the metal where it reaches the plastic state. The yield strength of a metal is measured in megapascals (MPa).

Impact Strength

It is referred to as the ability of a material to resist the impact load without shattering. Since we know that the diamond has a score of 10 on the Mohs scale, but it can get shattered if hit with a hammer. On the other hand, the steel can be hammered without shattering.

Alloys vs. Natural Metals

Most of the metals we will discuss today are not pure metals; instead, these are alloys that remain combinations of pure metals. Indeed, alloys are intended to add in the properties of pure metals, making them stronger. As an example, steel is a combination of iron and carbon. Inarguably, steel possesses improved strength, which is neither possessed by the iron solely nor carbon. Metallurgists make alloys of most metals, and they have a place on lists of the strongest metal . Thus, we will call them metals because they are still made fundamentally out of natural metals.

Strongest Metal in the World

Here we explore the top 10 strongest metal in the World:

Carbon Steel

Carbon steel has been one of the widely used alloys for centuries. This alloy is obtained using carbon and iron, and the combination offers unprecedented strength against stresses. It would not be wrong to say that we are overwhelmed with the products that contain carbon steel as a fundamental element. Here are the essential properties of carbon steel:

  • The Yield strength of this alloy is 260 MPa.
  • It has a tensile strength of 580 Moa.
  • The value of this alloy on the Mohs scale is 6.
  • The material possesses a high impact resistance.

Steel-Iron-Nickel Alloy

Generally speaking, mixing nickel with carbon steel adds to the tensile and yield strength of this alloy. These properties are even better than plain old carbon steel. For example, the yield strength of this alloy is 1420 MPa, and tensile strength remains at 1460 MPa.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is again one of the special and widely used alloys. Mainly, it gets composed of magnesium, steel, and chromium. The mixture paves the way for amazing characteristics such as excellent resistance against corrosion. So, the properties of this material make it significantly suitable for Turning and Milling operations. Meanwhile, the properties of this material are below:

  • Yield strength of this material is 1560 MPa.
  • It has a tensile strength of 1600 MPa.
  • Stainless steel offers high impact resistance.
  • The score of this metal may range from 5.5 to 6.3 on the Mohs scale.

Tungsten

Tungsten is a very famous metal that was earlier referred to as Wolfram. It remains the metal that possesses the highest value of tensile strength compared to any naturally occurring metal. But it is not preferably used in its natural form as it has the property of brittleness, along with being vulnerable to shattering under impact loading. It is the reason that tungsten is alloyed with different metals/alloys to achieve stronger properties. Thus, here are the properties of this material:

  • It has a tensile strength of 1725 MPa.
  • The yield strength of this material is 750 MPa.
  • It has low impact resistance.
  • It gets rated as 7.5 on the Mohs scale of hardness.

Tungsten Carbide

We have already explained that tungsten is naturally a highly brittle material and usually needs to be alloyed to obtain the required properties. Combining tungsten with carbide produces tungsten carbide that offers improved results. This material’s hardness is ideal for being used in cutting-edge tools like circular saw blades, drill bits, and others. Hence, there has been a huge application of this alloy in the CNC machining industry. Following are the properties of this material:

  • The yield strength of this material ranges from 300 to 100 MPa.
  • The tensile strength remains between 500 and 1500 MPa.
  • It offers high impact resistance.
  • One of the hardest metals alloy with the reading of 9 to 9.5 on Mohs scale.

Titanium

Titanium is also one of the strongest metals and widely used metals in the aerospace industry. The pure form of titanium has a lower yield strength that ranges from 275 to 580 MPa. It is the reason that titanium is usually alloyed to produce stronger versions. It has the following properties:

  • It has a tensile strength of 980 MPa.
  • It has the value of 6 on the Mohs hardness scale
  • The yield strength of titanium alloys can reach 1200 MPa.

Titanium Aluminide

Titanium aluminide is also known as the Gamma Titanium Aluminide, which is composed of titanium and aluminum, along with the addition of vanadium. Titanium aluminide alloys can perform very well even at high temperatures and compete with nickel-based alloys in terms of strength. At the same time, their weight can be low, which makes them suitable to be used for turbine blades. The tensile strength of this alloy is 880 MPa, and the yield strength is 800 MPa.

Magnesium Alloy

Last but not least, we have the name of magnesium alloys on the list. Surprisingly, scientists are further experimenting with magnesium alloys to make different alloys. By now, magnesium alloys have already been considered the lightest and strongest metals in the World. For the record, magnesium alloys are lighter than aluminum alloys and stronger than titanium alloys. If this metal is utilized in the automotive industry, it could save 40% of fuels without modifying the engine.

Inconel

Inconel is not that famous as other alloys; however, it remains one of the top 10 strongest metals. Inconel is essentially composed of chromium, nickel, and austenite. Amid other significant properties of this superalloy, its normal functionality and retuned strength in extreme conditions like high-temperature conditions stand exceptional. Due to this ability, Inconel is considered one of the best choices for high-speed turbines and nuclear reactors.

  • The tensile strength of this specialized alloy is 1103 MPa.
  • The yield strength of Inconel is 758 MPa.

Chromium

Being highly brittle in nature, it remains often difficult to use without alloying it with some other metals to make it stronger and get the desired variations. However, in its natural state, chromium is shiny and said to be among the strongest metal, and is preferred for electroplating.

  • The tensile strength of chromium is 418 MPa.
  • Its yield strength is 316 MPa
  • It has a rating of 9 on the Mohs hardness scale.

Specify Your Needs with Us

While there may not be the strongest metal in the world, it all depends on your intended application of the metal. For instance, in an application where high yield strength is critical, the compressive strength is unnecessary and irrelevant. That’s why we take a consultative approach with our clients.

At Runsom Precision, we strive to understand not only what our customers want, but also what they think it impossible to achieve. Talk to our team today to find out which metal is best suitable for your project or end goal or just send us your RFQ online.


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