2006-10-10 08:33:23 · 22 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Osmium is the hardest, as well as the most dense- Osmium and the closely related iridium are used in the balls of ball-point pens because of their hardness, thus they dont deform under the relatively powerful force generated during writing.
Uranium is not used as a shell because of it's hardness, but because of it's density, which is a more important aspect for penetrating armor.
2006-10-10 08:36:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is great confusion between hardness and tougness eg cast iron is harder than carbon steel (generically mild steel) but cast iron is brittle as it has negligible fracture toughness (it snaps easily) but "mild steel" is tougher (resilient to bending) but not as hard.
Specialist tool steels D2, D3 M2, M3 etc are made in a form which can be machined and then hardened after machining to nearly the shape required (near net shape) after hardeneing they are machined or ground with ceramics or PCBN (poly cystalline boron nitride - artificial diamond) to the finished shape.
So it's difficult to answer the question 'absolutey' because so many 'hard-metals' are processesd to give a variable between hardness and toughness.
Hope that helps.
2006-10-11 10:17:56 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nickel steel has been used for making armour plating for tanks for many years.
Cobalt steel is used for making machine cutting tools that will go through Nickel Steel like a hot knife through butter.
whether that makes it the hardest metal, albeit an alloy, I don't know. But it must be a candidate.
2006-10-11 08:30:40 · answer #3 · answered by lazydayz 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Titanium is the hardest metal as far as my knowledge goes.
2006-10-10 15:41:50 · answer #4 · answered by hakuna matata 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hi There
From what I can remember from school. To get a strong metal you link two metals together by melting them and then letting the two metals cool. For example Al nickel is meant to be very strong because it combines Aluminum which is light with Nicol. Hope this helps
regards
Felix
2006-10-10 15:40:18 · answer #5 · answered by Felix 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Titanium
2006-10-10 15:44:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Hardest metal? do you mean hardest common metal or alloy?
2006-10-10 15:43:40 · answer #7 · answered by taxed till i die,and then some. 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The higher the melting point the harder the substance but also the more brittle it becomes. Diamonds are very hard but very brittle depending on how they are struck! Imagine what the melting point is for granite rock! How hot can lava get?
2006-10-10 15:44:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The hardest metal in its elemental form is, in fact, CHROMIUM. The softest is CAESIUM.
2006-10-11 07:40:47 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tungston is the hardest however it's not that useful as far as strength due to the fact it's extreamly brittle.
2006-10-10 18:53:57 · answer #10 · answered by Max J 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋