The periodic table of elements contains a large range of elements and each element has its own unique physical and chemical properties. Through scientific research, some elements have been discovered that could be considered special because of their density and atomic weight.
These special elements make up the heaviest metals found on earth and constitutes their use in a variety of fields and industries. So, do you know, what is the heaviest metal in the world?
Metals, are natural elements in all shapes, sizes, and weights. Some metals are light weight such as aluminum, and some are as heavy as rocks.
You may think that lead is the most dense or heaviest metal, but it may surprise you to know other metals, such as osmium, are double the weight of lead, and you can also find them naturally occurring on earth.
Which is the heaviest metal on earth?
The properties that make heavier metals are density, atomic weight and atomic number. Density is the mass per unit volume, which describes how much a material will weigh.
Top 10 Heaviest Metals in the Periodic Table
#1. Osmium.
Osmium is the heaviest metal found on earth. The weight of osmium is double that of lead metal. It is toxic and very volatile metal as well. Osmium is also considred to be the most dense metal in the periodic table and it density is 22.59 g / cm³.
Osmium is a very rare metal that is refined from platinum. Compared to gold, which you thought was priceless, this brittle, hard metal with a blueish-white sheen is 30 times more valuable than gold because it is 1500 times rarer and has a purity of ten times that of gold. Osmium is used as an alloy in electrical contacts and some (but not all) fountain pens.
#2. Iridium.
Iridium is a hard, brittle metal, and the second heaviest metal to exist in the periodic table with a density of 22.56 g/cm³. This silvery-white metal has a close chemical association to platinum; it maintains a rust-resistant stability and can withstand high temperatures.
Most of its extraction comes from the nickel ores of Southern African, Russian and Canadian origins.
The applications and demand for Iridium are mostly electronic, automotive and chemical in nature, an example of Iridium’s demand is as a coating for the electrodes in the Chlor-alkali process.
The applications of iridium are limited to spark plugs and electrodes mostly because of its durability under high temperatures, due to its toxicity and rarity, iridium typically exists as an element or alloy, such as osmium/iridium alloy for compass bearings.
#3. Platinum.
Platinum has a density of 21.4 g/cm³ causing it to be one of the heaviest metals on Earth. Platinum can be characterized as ductile, dense, malleable, un-reactive, and it is one of the heaviest silver-white metals that you can buy! The first recorded use of this metal was by Colombians, when they produced artefacts from the metal.
Platinum has a 60% greater density in relationship to gold, and is used in emission control emissions vehicles, jewellery, coatings for glass, medicine, and most recently, anti-cancer agents.
Pure platinum can be more expensive than pure gold. As a precious metal, platinum is also mined, predominantly from South Africa is a tough and wear resistant material which is why it is favoured by some for harder disk drives.
#4. Rhenium.
Rhenium is the fourth heaviest metal, with a density of 21.2 g / cm³. It is a hardy metal that doesn’t corrode and has a high melting point. Because of these properties, it would be possible to use rhenium in any applications for high temperatures.
Rhenium is frequently used in superalloys for the blades in turbine engines, as it is able to withstand the immense amount of heat produced. Due to it’s good electrical conductivity and irresistible wear, rhenium is also a common electrical contact material.
#5. Plutonium.
Plutonium is an actinide metal that became well known after the detonation of the first atomic bomb in Nagasaki, Japan. Plutonium is a silvery grey metal that will tarnish and dull when exposed to oxygen.
The radioactive metal produces a considerable amount of thermal energy, but it can also produce electricity. As a nuclear battery, it is a great power source for devices needing power for a long service life for and average human’s lifetime, without maintenance.
#6. Gold.
Gold is one of the heaviest metals you can purchase. Gold has a density of 19.30 g/ cm³, but is a malleable and soft metal that can be flattened out into extremely thin sheets. Because of these properties, gold can be turned into jewellery, glass and even anti-cancer drugs.
Everyone is familiar with the bright yellow metal, but gold can also appear to be slightly reddish yellow as well in it’s purest form. It is used for making corrosion-resistant electrical connections in electrical equipment such as computers. Gold is the seventh heaviest element and is more than 19 times denser than water.
#7. Tungsten.
Tungsten is a naturally occurring heavy rare metal, usually mined from the earth with ores containing other elements. Tungsten is a lustrous, greyish-white transition metal and has the lowest vapour pressure of any element in the periodic table.
With a density of 19.25 g/cm³, tungsten is also known for its strength and high-density features, making it an ideal material for use in counter-weights, tail ballasts in commercial aircraft, and ballast-keels in yachts.
Other uses for tungsten include the production of filaments in incandescent light bulbs at home, in TV tubes, and as X-ray targets.
#8. Uranium.
Uranium is a silvery-grey actinide metal, one of the heaviest metals found on earth. A slow-decaying radioactive metal, uranium is the source of most of the heat found inside the earth’s core.
Uranium’s density is high, at a high value of 19.10g/cm³. The military uses uranium, but primarily for nuclear weapons. Uranium is, however, found primarily in power generation that produce; isotopes for medical and industrial uses.
Uranium fuel undergoes nuclear fission and releases energy from which electricity can be derived. Advocates of nuclear energy suggest the uranium fuel emissions potential a clean and efficient energy source, it could help eliminate carbon emissions.
#9. Tantalum.
Tantalum has a density (16.69g/cm³) of 16.69g/cm³, is a silvery-coloured material, and has a high melting temperature. It is a strong transitional metal that is widely used for capacitors.
Tantalum is very stable, so it is being used for medical instruments due to its high corrosion resistance. Tantalum capacitors are used throughout electronics due to high stability.
Surgical instruments use tantalum because its biocompatibility and corrosion resistance. Mining and the extraction process of tantalum continue to push environmentally unsound practices.
#10. Mercury.
Mercury is a metal that when at room temperature is in liquid form; it is commonly called quicksilver because of its colour appearance and silvery white. Because it has a density of 13.53g/cm³, mercury is the tenth heaviest metal.
This means that mercury weighs 13.6 times more than water in equal volumes and materials like lead or iron can float on its surface. Mercury is used in barometers, thermometers, and other scientific instruments; it is also an excellent electrical conductor.
Previously thought to be a non-toxic metal, mercury has been used in street lamps, advertising signs, and fluorescent lamps in the form of vaporous mercury.