Currently, 126 chemical elements are already known. But the heaviest among them are considered to be Osmium (Os) and Iridium (Ir). Both of these elements are transition metals and belong to the platinum group. Their serial numbers in the Periodic System of I.P. Mendeleev 76 and 77 respectively. Being very hard, both metals can be compared in density. This is due to the fact that the density values ​​were derived purely theoretically (22.562 g/cm³ (Ir) and 22.587 g/cm³ (Os)). And with such calculations there is always an error (± 0.009 g/cm³ for both calculations).

History of discovery

The discovery of these elements is associated with the name of the English scientist S. Tennant. In 1803 he studied the properties of platinum. And when this metal reacted with a mixture of acids (“aqua regia”), an insoluble precipitate consisting of impurities was isolated. While studying this substance, S. Tennant isolated new elements, which he named “iridium” and “osmium”.
The element received the name “iridium” (“rainbow”) because its salts came in a variety of colors. And “osmium” (“smell”) was so named due to the sharp smell of osmium oxide OsO4, close to ozone.

Properties

Both osmium and iridium are practically unprocessable. They have a very high melting point. In compact form, they do not react with active media such as acids, alkalis or mixtures of acids. These properties are observed in osmium at temperatures up to 100°C, and in iridium at temperatures up to 400°C.

Spreading

The most commonly mined form of these elements is iridium osmide. This alloy is mainly found in natural platinum and gold mining areas. Another place where iridium and osmium are often found is in iron meteorites. Osmium without iridium is practically never found in nature. Whereas iridium is found in combinations with other metals. For example, in compounds with ruthenium or rhodium. However, iridium remains one of the most uncommon chemical elements on our planet. Its industrial production in the world does not exceed 3 tons per year.
At the moment, the regions that are the main sources of iridium and osmium production are California, Alaska (USA), Siberia (Russia), Bushveld (South Africa), Australia, New Guinea, Canada.

Photos of the heaviest metals

Video of the heaviest metals

A group of chemical elements that have the properties of metals are called heavy metals. Their characteristic feature is high atomic weight And high performance density.

There are several definitions of this group, but in any interpretation the indispensable indicators are:

• atomic weight (this indicator should be above 50);
• density (it must exceed the density of iron - 8 g/cm3).

In general, with classification of heavy metals important indicators:

• chemical properties;
• physical properties;
• biological activity;
• toxicity.

No less relevant is the factor of presence in the industrial and economic sphere.

The heaviest metal

Scientists are still arguing which metal is the heaviest:

• osmium (atomic mass - 76);
• iridium (atomic mass - 77).

The mass of both metals differs literally by thousandths.

Iridium discovered in 1803 by the Englishman Tennat.

The scientist worked with polymetallic ore, in which the presence of silver, platinum and lead was observed in different proportions.

To the chemist's amazement, iridium was also found there. The English chemist's discovery was unique, since there is practically no iridium in the earth's crust. It is found only if a meteorite has ever fallen in the search area. Scientists are inclined to believe that the small presence of iridium in the earth's crust is due precisely to its mass. There is a scientific opinion that most of the iridium literally “leaked” into the center of the earth’s crust at the time of the birth of the Earth.

The main features of iridium are:

• resistance to any mechanical and chemical stress (iridium practically cannot be processed in any way);
• colossal chemical inertness.

In industry, the iridium isotope is used by paleontologists on excavations to determine which of them are of artificial origin.

Osmium was discovered a year later - in 1804. It was also found in polymetallic ore. This metal is also processed with the greatest difficulty, both chemical and mechanical.

On planet Earth, osmium is found, like iridium, in meteorite impact sites.

However, there are several regions in which large deposits of osmium are noted:

• Kazakhstan;
• America;
• South Africa (the osmium deposit is especially large here).

In industry, osmium is used in the production of incandescent lamps. In addition, it is used where refractory materials are required. And due to the increased density of osmium, it was adopted by doctors - surgical instruments are made from it.

Heavy metals in soil

The very definition of “severe” is often considered by specialists not in a chemical aspect, but in a medical one. In addition, for ecologists this term is also relevant when determining the degree of danger of a particular object for environmental protection activities.

The presence of heavy metals in the soil depends on the composition of the rock. Rocks, in turn, are formed in the process of development of territories. Chemical composition soil is represented by rock weathering products and depends on the conditions of repeated transformation.

In the modern world, anthropogenic human activity largely determines the composition of the soil. Heavy metals are a factor in soil pollution. They are classified as toxicants because they are all toxic to one degree or another.

In progress industrial activity in humans, heavy metals are often mixed with:

The task of environmental scientists is to create conditions that prevent the dispersion of toxicants in the biosphere.

The use of metals in everyday life began at the dawn of human development, and the first metal was copper, since it is available in nature and can be easily processed. It is not without reason that archaeologists during excavations find various products and household utensils made of this metal. In the process of evolution, people gradually learned to combine various metals, obtaining more and more durable alloys, suitable for making tools, and later weapons. Nowadays, experiments continue, thanks to which it is possible to identify the strongest metals in the world.

10.

• high specific strength;
• resistance to high temperatures;
• low density;
• corrosion resistance;
• mechanical and chemical resistance.

Titanium is used in military industry, aviation medicine, shipbuilding, and other areas of production.

9.

The most famous element, which is considered one of the strongest metals in the world, and in normal conditions is a weak radioactive metal. In nature, it is found both in a free state and in acidic sedimentary rocks. It is quite heavy, widely distributed everywhere and has paramagnetic properties, flexibility, malleability, and relative ductility. Uranium is used in many areas of production.

8.

Known as the most refractory metal in existence, it is one of the strongest metals in the world. It is a solid transitional element of a shiny silver-gray color. It has high strength, excellent refractoriness, and resistance to chemical influences. Due to its properties, it can be forged and drawn into a thin thread. Known as tungsten filament.

7.

Among the representatives of this group, it is considered a high-density transition metal with a silvery-white color. It occurs in nature in its pure form, but is found in molybdenum and copper raw materials. It is characterized by high hardness and density, and has excellent refractoriness. It has increased strength, which is not lost due to repeated temperature changes. Rhenium is an expensive metal and has a high cost. Used in modern technology and electronics.

6.

A shiny silver-white metal with a slightly bluish tint, it belongs to the platinum group and is considered one of the strongest metals in the world. Similar to iridium, it has a high atomic density, high strength and hardness. Since osmium belongs to platinum metals, has properties similar to iridium: refractoriness, hardness, fragility, resistance to mechanical stress, as well as to the influence of aggressive environments. Widely used in surgery, electron microscopy, chemical industry, rocketry, electronic equipment.

5.

It belongs to the group of metals and is a light gray element with relative hardness and high toxicity. Due to its unique properties, beryllium is used in the most various fields production:

• nuclear energy;
• aerospace engineering;
• metallurgy;
• laser technology;
• nuclear energy.

Due to its high hardness, beryllium is used in the production of alloying alloys and refractory materials.

4.

Next on the list of the ten strongest metals in the world is chromium - a hard, high-strength metal of a bluish-white color, resistant to alkalis and acids. It occurs in nature in its pure form and is widely used in various branches of science, technology and production. Chromium is used to create various alloys that are used in the manufacture of medical as well as chemical technological equipment. When combined with iron, it forms an alloy called ferrochrome, which is used in the manufacture of metal-cutting tools.

3.

Tantalum deserves bronze in the ranking, as it is one of the strongest metals in the world. It is a silvery metal with high hardness and atomic density. Due to the formation of an oxide film on its surface, it has a leaden tint.

The distinctive properties of tantalum are high strength, refractoriness, resistance to corrosion, and resistance to aggressive environments. The metal is a fairly ductile metal and can be easily machined. Today tantalum is successfully used:

• in the chemical industry;
• during the construction of nuclear reactors;
• in metallurgical production;
• when creating heat-resistant alloys.

2.

The second place in the ranking of the most durable metals in the world is occupied by ruthenium, a silvery metal belonging to the platinum group. Its peculiarity is the presence of living organisms in the muscle tissue. The valuable properties of ruthenium are high strength, hardness, refractoriness, chemical resistance, and the ability to form complex compounds. Ruthenium is considered a catalyst for many chemical reactions and acts as a material for the manufacture of electrodes, contacts, and sharp tips.

1.

The ranking of the most durable metals in the world is headed by iridium - a silver-white, hard and refractory metal that belongs to the platinum group. In nature, the high-strength element is extremely rare and is often combined with osmium. Due to its natural hardness, it is difficult to machine and is highly resistant to chemicals. Iridium reacts with great difficulty to exposure to halogens and sodium peroxide.

This metal plays an important role in everyday life. It is added to titanium, chromium and tungsten to improve resistance to acidic environments, used in the manufacture of stationery, and used in jewelry to create jewelry. The cost of iridium remains high due to its limited presence in nature.

This basic list of ten elements is the heaviest in terms of density per cubic centimeter. However, note that density is not mass, it simply measures how tightly packed the mass of an object is.

Now that we understand this, let's take a look at the heaviest ones in the entire known universe.

10. Tantalum

Density per 1 cm³ - 16.67 g

The atomic number of tantalum is 73. This blue-gray metal is very hard and also has a super high melting point.

9. Uranium


Density per 1 cm³ - 19.05 g

Discovered in 1789 by the German chemist Martin H. Klaprot, the metal only became true uranium almost a hundred years later, in 1841, thanks to the French chemist Eugene Melchior Peligot.

8. Tungsten (Wolframium)


Density per 1 cm³ - 19.26 g

Tungsten exists in four different minerals and is also the heaviest of all elements and plays an important biological role.

7. Gold (Aurum)


Density per 1 cm³ - 19.29 g

They say money doesn't grow on trees, but the same can't be said about gold! Small traces of gold have been found on the leaves of eucalyptus trees.

6. Plutonium


Density per 1 cm³ - 20.26 g

Plutonium exhibits a colorful oxidation state in aqueous solution, and can also spontaneously change oxidation state and color! This is a real chameleon among the elements.

5. Neptunium

Density per 1 cm³ - 20.47 g

Named after the planet Neptune, it was discovered by Professor Edwin McMillan in 1940. It also became the first synthetic transuranium element from the actinide family to be discovered.

4. Rhenium

Density per 1 cm³ - 21.01 g

The name of this chemical element comes from the Latin word "Rhenus", which means "Rhine". It was discovered by Walter Noddack in Germany in 1925.

3. Platinum

Density per 1 cm³ - 21.45 g

One of the most precious metals on this list (along with gold), and is used to make almost everything. As a weird fact, all the platinum mined (every last bit) could fit in an average sized living room! Not much, actually. (Try to put all the gold in it.)

2. Iridium


Density per 1 cm³ - 22.56 g

Iridium was discovered in London in 1803 by the English chemist Smithson Tennant along with osmium: elements present in natural platinum as impurities. Yes, iridium was discovered purely by accident.

1. Osmium


Density per 1 cm³ - 22.59 g

There is nothing heavier (per cubic centimeter) than osmium. The name of this element comes from the ancient Greek word "osme", which means "smell", since the chemical reactions of its dissolution in acid or water are accompanied by an unpleasant, persistent odor.

Osmium is currently defined as the heaviest substance on the planet. Just one cubic centimeter of this substance weighs 22.6 grams. It was discovered in 1804 by the English chemist Smithson Tennant; when gold was dissolved in a test tube, a precipitate remained. This happened due to the peculiarity of osmium; it is insoluble in alkalis and acids.

The heaviest element on the planet

It is a bluish-white metallic powder. It occurs in nature in seven isotopes, six of which are stable and one is unstable. It is slightly denser than iridium, which has a density of 22.4 grams per cubic centimeter. Of the materials discovered to date, the heaviest substance in the world is osmium.

It belongs to the group of lanthanum, yttrium, scandium and other lanthanides.

More expensive than gold and diamonds

Very little of it is mined, about ten thousand kilograms per year. Even the largest source of osmium, the Dzhezkazgan deposit, contains about three ten-millionth parts. The market value of the rare metal in the world reaches about 200 thousand dollars per gram. Moreover, the maximum purity of the element during the purification process is about seventy percent.

Although Russian laboratories managed to obtain a purity of 90.4 percent, the amount of metal did not exceed several milligrams.

Density of matter beyond planet Earth

Osmium is undoubtedly the leader of the heaviest elements on our planet. But if we turn our gaze into space, then our attention will reveal many substances heavier than our “king” of heavy elements.

The fact is that in the Universe there are conditions somewhat different than on Earth. The gravity of the series is so great that the substance becomes incredibly dense.

If we consider the structure of the atom, we will find that the distances in the interatomic world are somewhat reminiscent of the space we see. Where planets, stars and others are at a fairly large distance. The rest is occupied by emptiness. This is exactly the structure that atoms have, and with strong gravity this distance decreases quite significantly. Up to the “pressing” of some elementary particles into others.

Neutron stars are super-dense space objects

By searching beyond our Earth, we may find the heaviest matter in space in neutron stars.

These are quite unique space inhabitants, one of the possible types of stellar evolution. The diameter of such objects ranges from 10 to 200 kilometers, with a mass equal to our Sun or 2-3 times more.

This cosmic body mainly consists of a neutron core, which consists of flowing neutrons. Although, according to some scientists’ assumptions, it should be in a solid state, reliable information does not exist today. However, it is known that it is neutron stars that, having reached their compression limit, subsequently transform into a colossal release of energy, on the order of 10 43 -10 45 joules.

The density of such a star is comparable, for example, to the weight of Mount Everest placed in a matchbox. This is hundreds of billions of tons in one cubic millimeter. For example, to make it more clear how high the density of matter is, let’s take our planet with its mass of 5.9 × 1024 kg and “turn” it into a neutron star.

As a result, in order to equal the density of a neutron star, it must be reduced to the size of an ordinary apple, with a diameter of 7-10 centimeters. The density of unique stellar objects increases as you move toward the center.

Layers and density of matter

The outer layer of the star is represented in the form of a magnetosphere. Directly below it, the density of the substance already reaches about one ton per cubic centimeter. Given our knowledge of the Earth, at the moment, this is the heaviest substance of the discovered elements. But don't rush to conclusions.

Let's continue our research into unique stars. They are also called pulsars because high speed rotation around its axis. This indicator for various objects ranges from several tens to hundreds of revolutions per second.

Let us proceed further in the study of superdense cosmic bodies. This is followed by a layer that has the characteristics of a metal, but is likely similar in behavior and structure. Crystals are much smaller than we see in the crystal lattice of Earthly substances. To build a line of 1 centimeter crystals, you will need to lay out more than 10 billion elements. The density in this layer is one million times higher than in the outer layer. This is not the heaviest material in the star. Next comes a layer rich in neutrons, the density of which is a thousand times higher than the previous one.

Neutron star core and its density

Below is the core, this is where the density reaches its maximum - twice as high as the overlying layer. The substance of the core of a celestial body consists of all elementary particles known to physics. With this, we have reached the end of the journey to the core of a star in search of the heaviest substance in space.

The mission in search of substances unique in density in the Universe seems to be completed. But space is full of mysteries and undiscovered phenomena, stars, facts and patterns.

Black holes in the Universe

You should pay attention to what is already open today. These are black holes. Perhaps these mysterious objects may be candidates for the fact that the heaviest matter in the Universe is their component. Note that the gravity of black holes is so strong that light cannot escape.

According to scientists, matter drawn into the space-time region becomes so dense that there is no space left between elementary particles.

Unfortunately, beyond the event horizon (the so-called boundary where light and any object, under the influence of gravity, cannot leave black hole) our guesses and indirect assumptions based on the emissions of particle fluxes follow.

A number of scientists suggest that space and time mix beyond the event horizon. There is an opinion that they may be a “passage” to another Universe. Perhaps this is true, although it is quite possible that beyond these limits another space opens up with completely new laws. An area where time exchanges “place” with space. The location of the future and the past is determined simply by the choice of following. Like our choice to go right or left.

It is potentially possible that there are civilizations in the Universe that have mastered time travel through black holes. Perhaps in the future people from planet Earth will discover the secret of traveling through time.