Which metal is the hardest on earth
Which metal is the hardest on earth
There is a large number of metals. Some of them are very fragile, others are viscous, and some are viscous. In the periodic table there is a metal that has no equal in hardness - it's chrome.
Siberian red lead and chrome
Most of the elements of the periodic tablerefers to metals. They differ in their physicochemical characteristics, but they have common properties: high electrical and thermal conductivity, plasticity, positive temperature coefficient of resistance. Most metals under normal conditions are solid, from this rule there is one single exception - mercury. The hardest metal is chromium. In 1766 on one of the mines near Yekaterinburg an unknown mineral of a rich red color was discovered. He was given the name "Siberian red lead". The modern name of this mineral is "crokoite", its chemical formula is PbCrO4. A new mineral attracted the attention of scientists. In 1797 the French chemist Vauquelin, experimenting with him, singled out a new metal, later called chromium.The compounds of chromium have a bright coloration of various colors. For this, he received his name, because in the translation from Greek "chrome" means "paint."In its pure form it is a metalsilvery-bluish color. This is the most important component of alloyed (stainless) steels, which gives them corrosion resistance and hardness. Chromium is widely used in electroplating, for applying a beautiful and wear-resistant protective coating, as well as for skin treatment. Alloys based on chromium are made of rocket parts, heat-resistant nozzles, etc. Most sources state that chrome is the hardest metal in the world. The hardness of chromium (depending on the conditions of the experiment) reaches 700-800 units on the Brinell scale.
Chrome is considered to be the hardest metal on earth, but it is only slightly inferior in hardness to tungsten and uranium.
