The most expensive and rarest metal on the planet is californium, with a price that can reach several tens of millions of dollars per gram. This was reported by Dmitry Baranov, a leading expert at Finam Management, as conveyed by Tengri Life.
The high cost of californium is determined by its rarity and the difficulty of obtaining it.
"This is an artificially synthesized metal, produced in minuscule amounts each year by irradiating curium in a nuclear reactor over an extended period, after which californium is extracted from the resultant products through chemical methods," the expert explained.
According to Baranov, californium is utilized in the nuclear industry – in nuclear medicine (radiation therapy) and in materials research. He added that this metal is produced in both Russia and the USA.
The cheapest metal in the world is identified by the specialist as iron and its alloys – steel and cast iron.
"Iron alloys are widely used in both industry and everyday life, being employed in the production of a vast array of products, from complex machinery to household items," he specified.
Iron is obtained from iron ore, which is smelted in blast furnaces, first yielding cast iron and then steel. The largest deposits of iron ore are concentrated in Australia, Brazil, China, and Russia, while several dozen countries produce steel globally, notes the expert.
"The demand for iron worldwide depends on the economic situation, raw material costs, and other goods and services; however, since products made from iron are always in demand, it is needed continuously, which is reflected in its price," concluded Baranov.