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The Top 5 Hardest Substances on Earth
| Substance | Chemical Formula | Absolute Hardness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diamond | (C) | 1500 |
| 2 | Corundum | (Al2O3) | 400 |
| 3 | Topaz | (Al2SiO4(OH-,F-)2) | 200 |
| 4 | Quartz | (SiO2) | 100 |
| 5 | Orthoclase Feldspar | (KAlSi3O8) | 72 |
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Planet Earth
Sources: Top 5 of Anything.com research 2012.
List Notes: Data is naturally occurring minerals according to absolute hardness. Absolute hardness is measured by a sclerometer.
Please note: Top 5 of Anything.com has not included lonsdaleite or Wurtzite boron nitride on this list because they have to be synthesized in a laboratory by compressing and heating in order to attain a higher hardness than diamond. However if they were to be included on this list Wurtzite boron nitride would have a Mohs of 11.0 and an absolute hardness of 1888 (ranking 2nd). Ionsdaleite would have a Mohs of 12 and an absolute hardness of 2528 (ranking 1st).
Sources: Top 5 of Anything.com research 2012.
List Notes: Data is naturally occurring minerals according to absolute hardness. Absolute hardness is measured by a sclerometer.
Please note: Top 5 of Anything.com has not included lonsdaleite or Wurtzite boron nitride on this list because they have to be synthesized in a laboratory by compressing and heating in order to attain a higher hardness than diamond. However if they were to be included on this list Wurtzite boron nitride would have a Mohs of 11.0 and an absolute hardness of 1888 (ranking 2nd). Ionsdaleite would have a Mohs of 12 and an absolute hardness of 2528 (ranking 1st).
