Top 10 Metals with the Highest Melting Points You Should Know About

Melting Point: 3306 K (3033 °C, 5491 °F).

Osmium is a metal in the platinum group; symbol Os; atomic number 76; atomic mass 190.2. Osmium is the densest metal known (density of 22.6g/cm3, heavier than Iridium by approximately 0.2g/cm3). It is quite hard but also brittle, with an exceptionally high melting point. In its compounds, Osmium can have oxidation states ranging from -2 to +8, with the +2, +3, +4, and +8 oxidation states being the most common. This metal is primarily used in the production of durable alloys for fountain pen tips and the pins of certain machinery hinges.

Melting Point: 3459 K (3186 °C, 5767 °F).

Rhenium is a chemical element with the symbol Re and atomic number 75. It is a dense, silvery-white transition metal. With an extremely low abundance in the Earth's crust (measured in parts per billion), rhenium is one of the rarest elements. Chemically similar to manganese, rhenium is obtained as a by-product in the processing of molybdenum and copper. In compounds, rhenium displays oxidation states ranging from −1 to +7.

Rhenium is primarily used in high-temperature superalloys for manufacturing jet engine parts, accounting for about 70% of the global rhenium production. Another significant use is in platinum-rhenium catalysts, which are essential in producing high-octane, lead-free gasoline.

Melting Point: 3695 K (3422 °C, 6192 °F).

Tungsten, also known as Wolfram, is a chemical element represented by the symbol W and atomic number 74. This transition metal, with a color ranging from steel gray to white, is extremely hard and dense. Tungsten is found in several ores such as wolframite and scheelite. It is notably the metal with the highest melting point among pure metals.

Because of its ability to withstand extremely high temperatures, tungsten is widely used in applications like light bulb filaments, cathode ray tubes, vacuum tube filaments, heating elements, and rocket engine nozzles. Its electrical conductivity and relatively inert chemical properties make it an ideal material for electrodes and emission sources in electron beam devices, such as electron microscopes. In the electronics industry, tungsten is used as a connecting material in microcircuits, bridging the silicon oxide dielectric and transistors.

Melting Point: 1811 K (1538 °C, 2800 °F).

Iron (Fe), derived from the Latin word ferrum, is an element in the periodic table with atomic number 26, located in period 4 and group 2. Iron is a crucial element on Earth, making up both the outer crust and the core. Along with nickel, it is one of the two elements that can form through stellar nucleosynthesis (nuclear reactions occurring in the cores of stars) without the need for a supernova explosion or major cosmic events. Therefore, iron and nickel are relatively abundant in metallic asteroids and rocky planets such as Earth and Mars.

As a metal, iron is abundant in Earth's crust, with its formation limited by the deposition of meteorites. Freshly exposed iron surfaces appear shiny and silver-gray but oxidize quickly in the atmosphere to form hydrated iron oxides, which are typically referred to as rust, ranging in color from brown to black.

Melting Point: 1357.77 K (1084.62 °C, 1984.32 °F)

Copper is a chemical element in the periodic table with the symbol Cu (from the Latin word: cuprum) and atomic number 29. Copper is a soft, ductile metal known for its excellent electrical and thermal conductivity. Pure copper is malleable and easy to shape, with a fresh surface that has a reddish-orange color. It is used extensively as a conductor of heat and electricity, in construction materials, and as a component in many metal alloys.

Copper is one of the few metals found in its native form, ready for direct use without the need to be extracted from ores. It has been utilized by humans since around 8000 BCE. It was the first metal to be smelted from its ores around 5000 BCE, the first metal to be cast into shapes around 4000 BCE, and the first to be alloyed with other metals, such as tin to create bronze, around 3500 BCE.

Melting Point: 1337.33 K (1064.18 °C, 1947.52 °F)

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (derived from the Latin word aurum, meaning gold) and atomic number 79, making it one of the rare elements with a high atomic number found naturally. In its pure form, gold is a shiny, reddish-yellow metal that is dense, soft, malleable, and ductile. Chemically, gold is a transition metal and belongs to group 11 of the periodic table. It is one of the least reactive metals and remains solid under standard conditions. Gold is often found in its native form (as nuggets or grains) within rocks, veins, and alluvial deposits. It naturally occurs in solid solution with silver (known as electrum) and can also form natural alloys with copper and palladium. Less commonly, it appears in minerals like gold tellurides, where it combines with tellurium.

Gold is resistant to most acids, though it dissolves in aqua regia, a mixture of nitric acid and hydrochloric acid, forming soluble tetrachloroaurate anions. Gold does not dissolve in nitric acid alone, but it is capable of dissolving silver and base metals. This property has been used for centuries to purify gold and confirm its presence in metal objects, giving rise to the term 'acid test.' Additionally, gold dissolves in alkaline cyanide solutions, which are employed in gold extraction and electroplating. Gold also forms an amalgam with mercury, but this is a physical process, not a chemical reaction.

Melting Point: 1234.93 K (961.78 °C, 1763.2 °F)

Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin word Argentum) and atomic number 47. This soft, white transition metal has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity among metals. It is found naturally in its pure form, known as native silver, as well as in alloys with gold and other metals, and in minerals such as argentite and chlorargyrite. Most silver is produced as a byproduct of refining copper, gold, lead, and zinc.

Silver is a highly valued metal with enduring worth, used in coins, jewelry, tableware, and household items, and also as an investment in coins and bars. In ancient East Asian cultures, silver served as a form of currency, known as sycee or silver ingots. Industrially, silver is used as a conductor, contact material, in mirrors, and in electroplating for chemical reactions. Its compounds are used in photography, and diluted silver nitrate is used as an antimicrobial agent. Though many medical uses of silver have been replaced by biological antibiotics, further clinical research is still ongoing.

Melting Point: 2739 K (2466 °C, 4471 °F)

Iridium is a chemical element with the atomic number 77 and the symbol Ir. A hard, silver-white transition metal, iridium is the second densest element (after osmium) and the most corrosion-resistant metal, even at temperatures around 2000 °C. Osmium-iridium alloys are used in compass bearings. The radioactive isotope iridium-192 is one of the two most significant sources of energy used in industry for radiographic imaging, which allows for non-destructive testing of metals.

Furthermore, 192Ir is utilized as a gamma radiation source in cancer treatment, a form of radiotherapy where radioactive sources are placed inside or near the area to be treated within the body. Special therapies such as high-dose prostate brachytherapy, bile duct brachytherapy, and cervical cavity brachytherapy use this method. Iridium also serves as an excellent electrolyte for the decomposition of hydrazine (into nitrogen and ammonia), a reaction used in low-thrust rocket engines.

Melting point: 2896 K (2623 °C, 4753 °F)

Molybdenum is a chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. It is a transition metal commonly used in high-strength steel alloys. Molybdenum occurs in trace amounts in both plants and animals. Its ability to withstand high temperatures without significant expansion or softening makes it valuable in high-heat applications such as the manufacture of aircraft components, electrical contacts, industrial engines, and lightbulb filaments.

Most high-strength steel alloys contain between 0.25% and 8% molybdenum, which is used to produce stainless steel, tool steels, cast iron, and heat-resistant superalloys. Due to its lower density and more stable pricing compared to tungsten, molybdenum is often used as a substitute for tungsten. Despite its melting point of 2623 °C, molybdenum oxidizes quickly at temperatures above 760 °C, making it better suited for use in vacuum environments.

Melting point: 3290 K (3017 °C, 5463 °F)

Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. It is a rare, hard, grayish-blue, lustrous transition metal known for its excellent corrosion resistance, commonly found in the mineral tantalite. Tantalum is dense, malleable, and resistant to acid corrosion. It remains chemically inert below 150 °C and is only corroded by hydrofluoric acid, fluorine-ion solutions, and sulfur trioxide. Tantalum exhibits the highest capacitance among materials used in capacitors.

Tantalum is primarily used in the form of metal powder to create electronic components, such as tantalum capacitors, which have a high capacitance in a small size. Due to their small size and weight, tantalum capacitors are commonly used in mobile phones, pagers, personal computers, and automotive electronics. Tantalum is also used in the production of high-melting-point, hard yet machinable alloys. When alloyed with other metals, it is utilized in the production of superalloys for jet engines, chemical laboratory instruments, nuclear reactors, vacuum furnace parts, and rocket components.

Tantalum is used in surgical tools and implants because it does not react with body fluids. Tantalum oxide is also used to produce high-refractive-index glass for camera lenses.