Hi there, I want to know that which is the hardest known metal occurring naturally on earth and if anybody can provide some information about the hardest known metal artificial one also does these metals support metal stamping or not. Please if anybody can provide the information about this question then I'll be very thankful. Thanks Jason Scott
1. Strength isn't the same as hardness. 2. Most of the top ten results on that page are wrong. Jason, when you say "naturally occurring", what you do mean? If you have to refine a metal, does that mean it isn't naturally occurring? Does steel count as 'unnatural'?
Titanium is probably one of if not the hardest metal, there will be dozens of man made alloys that could rival it but I dont know of any off hand. Im assuming by natural metals you mean metals listed on the periodic table.
I've used tools for rock etching before (don't ask) and their tips are usually made of Tungsten carbide.
you spend some thime at shawshank? and yeah, tungsten carbide or titanium diboride are what you might be after. hardest naturally occuring metal is a tougher one as there are a few different scales, but titanium is less hard than both mild steel and stainless steel (both alloys).
Here's a graph of element number against young's modulus, this refers to strength rather than hardness: http://www.webelements.com/periodicity/youngs_modulus/ And here is a graph of hardness against element number: http://www.webelements.com/periodicity/hardness_mineral/ Hardness refers to how much a material resists permanent (plastic) deformation (ie scratching). This is usually measured using mohs or Vicker's hardness. Mohs is simply done by testing which materials can scratch others, vickers involves pressing down on the sample with a known force on an indenter with a specific shape, then measuring the size of the indent (using optical microscopy) and doing some math. Note that the hardness and strength of alloys are usually far greater than the pure element. For example iron has a yield strength of <100MPa whereas a high strength low alloy steel can have yield strengths as much as five times greater by only including a few percent of alloying additions and some careful heat treatment
Hardness brings fragility, due to its inability to bend and flex with forces required. this is why a hardened hi-carbon steel will break given its lack of resistance to shock, hence why tempering is used so it can be made ductile and less rigid. Hardness isnt the best thing out there, materials with greater resistance to work hardening and fracture resistance are more desireable.
