Real Assets
Prove Your Metal: Top 10 Strongest Metals on Earth
Prove Your Metal: Top 10 Strongest Metals on Earth
The use of metals and the advancement of human civilization have gone hand in hand — and throughout the ages, each metal has proved its worth based on its properties and applications.
Today’s visualization from Viking Steel Structures outlines the 10 strongest metals on Earth and their applications.
What are Metals?
Metals are solid materials that are typically hard, shiny, malleable, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity. But not all metal is equal, which makes their uses as varied as their individual properties and benefits.
The periodic table below presents a simple view of the relationship between metals, nonmetals, and metalloids, which you can easily identify by color.
While 91 of the 118 elements of the periodic table are considered to be metals, only a few of them stand out as the strongest.
What Makes a Metal Strong?
The strength of a metal depends on four properties:
- Tensile Strength: How well a metal resists being pulled apart
- Compressive Strength: How well a material resists being squashed together
- Yield Strength: How well a rod or beam of a particular metal resists bending and permanent damage
- Impact Strength: The ability to resist shattering upon impact with another object or surface
Here are the top 10 metals based on these properties.
The Top 10 Strongest Metals
Rank | Type of Metal | Example Use | Atomic Weight | Melting Point |
---|---|---|---|---|
#1 | Tungsten | Making bullets and missiles | 183.84 u | 3422°C / 6192 °F |
#2 | Steel | Construction of railroads, roads, other infrastructure and appliances | n/a | 1371°C / 2500°F |
#3 | Chromium | Manufacturing stainless steel | 51.96 u | 1907°C / 3465°F, |
#4 | Titanium | In the aerospace Industry, as a lightweight material with strength | 47.87 u | 1668°C / 3032°F |
#5 | Iron | Used to make bridges, electricity, pylons, bicycle chains, cutting tools and rifle barrels | 55.85 u | 1536°C / 2800°F |
#6 | Vanadium | 80% of vanadium is alloyed with iron to make steel shock and corrosion resistance | 50.942 u | 1910°C / 3470°F |
#7 | Lutetium | Used as catalysts in petroleum production. | 174.96 u | 1663 °C / 3025°F |
#8 | Zirconium | Used in nuclear power stations. | 91.22 u | 1850°C / 3.362°F |
#9 | Osmium | Added to platinum or indium to make them harder. | 190.2 u | 3000°C / 5,400°F |
#10 | Tantalum | Used as an alloy due to its high melting point and anti-corrosion. | 180.94 u | 3,017°C / 5462°F |
Out of the Forge and into Tech: Metals for the Future
While these metals help to forge the modern world, there is a new class of metals that are set to create a new future.
Rare Earth elements (REEs) are a group of metals do not rely on their strength, but instead their importance in applications in new technologies, including those used for green energy.
Metal | Uses |
---|---|
Neodymium | Magnets containing neodymium are used in green technologies such as the manufacture of wind turbines and hybrid cars. |
Lanthanum | Used in catalytic converters in cars, enabling them to run at high temperatures |
Cerium | This element is used in camera and telescope lenses. |
Praseodymium | Used to create strong metals for use in aircraft engines. |
Gadolinium | Used in X-ray and MRI scanning systems, and also in television screens. |
Yttrium, terbium, europium | Making televisions and computer screens and other devices that have visual displays. |
If the world is going to move towards a more sustainable and efficient future, metals—both tough and smart—are going to be critical. Each one will serve a particular purpose to build the infrastructure and technology for the next generation.
Our ability to deploy technology with the right materials will test the world’s mettle to meet the challenges of tomorrow—so choose wisely.
Real Assets
Visualizing Mining’s Footprint in British Columbia
Mining represents 7% of British Columbia’s GDP despite only accounting for 0.04% of the land use.

Visualizing Mining’s Footprint in British Columbia
British Columbia is considered a global leader in the development of socially and environmentally responsible resources.
An estimated 54% of the province’s total land is protected, making it one of the world’s greenest mining hubs.
This graphic by the B.C. Regional Mining Alliance (BCRMA) details mining’s footprint in the province.
A Tier 1 Jurisdiction for Mining
British Columbia covers almost 95 million hectares (234 million acres), more than any European country except Russia, and more than any U.S. state except Alaska.
As the largest mining province in Canada, BC registered $18 billion in revenue from the industry in 2022.
British Columbia stands as Canada’s sole producer of molybdenum, which finds applications in metallurgy and chemistry. Additionally, B.C. is the country’s leader producer of copper and steelmaking coal, besides gold and silver.
At the heart of British Columbia’s mining industry lies the Golden Triangle, one of the hottest mineral exploration districts in the world.
More than 150 mines have operated in the area since prospectors first arrived at the end of the 19th century. The region alone is endowed with minerals worth more than $800 billion.
How Green is B.C. Mining
Mining represents 7% of the province’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), despite only accounting for 0.04% of the land use. In comparison, farmland demands 3% of the land, bringing $2.1 billion (0.8%) per year.
Land Use in B.C. | Revenue (2022, CAD $) | |
---|---|---|
Mining | 0.04% | $18.0 billion |
Oil & Gas | 0.4% | $9.5 billion |
Infrastructure | 1% | $25.0 billion |
Farmland | 3% | $2.1 billion |
Forest | 62% | $13.3 billion |
Mining operations are also supported by a stable, transparent, and effective policy environment. The province ranked as the world’s least risky for mining in 2017 and 2018.
In addition, mineral exploration has received ample support from local Indigenous communities. Today, mining accounts for over two-thirds of all indigenous people employed in the extractives sector.
According to the International Energy Agency, up to six times more minerals and metals will be needed by 2040 to accelerate the energy transition.
In this scenario, British Columbia is well positioned to support the transition to a low-carbon future and make a significant contribution to climate action.
The BCRMA is a strategic partnership between indigenous groups, industry, and government representatives that aims to promote B.C.’s mining opportunities internationally.
Real Assets
Mapped: The 10 Largest Undeveloped Silver Deposits in the World
Global silver demand is poised to soar in the next decade, driven by emerging technologies like EVs and solar power.

Ranked: The Largest Undeveloped Silver Deposits in the World
Global silver demand is poised to soar in the next decade, driven by emerging technologies like electric vehicles and solar power.
Silver demand from solar alone has grown from less than 50 million ounces (Moz) a decade ago to an expected 160 Moz in 2023.
So, where will the necessary supply come from to meet this surge? This graphic from Discovery Silver shows the largest undeveloped silver deposits in the world.
Silver in Green Technology
Silver is a vital part of solar cells. The metal is converted into paste and coated onto silicon wafers to make solar arrays.
When sunlight hits the silicon, silver helps to transport the generated electricity for immediate use or store it in batteries. A typical solar panel can contain as much as 20 grams of silver.
Silver’s conductivity and corrosion resistance are vital in electronics, especially electric vehicles where nearly all electrical connections rely on the metal. Over 50 million ounces of silver are used every year to enhance conductivity in powered seats, windows, and other vehicle electronics.
In 2022, 27% of all silver consumption in the U.S. was attributed to electrical and electronics, while 10% was linked to solar technology.
Global Silver Demand Rising
With the increasing demand for new technologies combined with physical investment (bars) demand, the silver market saw a 237.7 Moz deficit in 2022, an all-time record.
2023 silver industrial demand is forecasted to rise by 4% to a new record high.
However, according to the Silver Institute, mined output is expected to decline over the next five years.
In this scenario, new mines are expected to play an important role in meeting the demand.
Currently, the world’s top 10 undeveloped silver deposits contain 984 Moz. Discovery Silver’s Cordero project in Mexico leads the ranking:
Rank | Project | Owner | Country | Contained Silver Reserves (Moz) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Cordero | Discovery Silver | Mexico | 266 |
2 | Corani | Bear Creek Mining Corporation | Peru | 229 |
3 | Prognoz | Polymetal International plc | Russia | 125 |
4 | Bowdens | Silver Mines Limited | Australia | 66 |
5 | Santa Ana | Formerly Bear Creek | Peru | 63 |
6 | Fuwan | Minco Silver Corporation | China | 55 |
7 | Nueva Esperanza | Kingsgate Consolidated Limited | Chile | 48 |
8 | Vares | Adriatic Metals PLC | Bosnia & Herzegovina | 47 |
9 | Terronera | Endeavour Silver Corp. | Mexico | 47 |
10 | Menkechka | GeoProMining Ltd. | Russia | 38 |
Cordero is located in Chihuahua State in Mexico, one of the world’s most prolific silver producing regions.
Once in production, it is expected to become one of the top three silver mines in the world.
As silver demand is expected to soar, Discovery Silver offers direct investment exposure to this paradigm shift through its Cordero Project. Click here to learn more about Discovery Silver.
-
Electrification2 years ago
Ranked: The Top 10 EV Battery Manufacturers
-
Real Assets3 years ago
Visualizing China’s Dominance in Rare Earth Metals
-
Real Assets2 years ago
The World’s Top 10 Gold Mining Companies
-
Electrification1 year ago
The Key Minerals in an EV Battery
-
Misc2 years ago
All the Metals We Mined in One Visualization
-
Misc2 years ago
All the World’s Metals and Minerals in One Visualization
-
Real Assets3 years ago
What is a Commodity Super Cycle?
-
Real Assets3 years ago
How the World’s Top Gold Mining Stocks Performed in 2020