1
Tungsten (W)
Tungsten melts at 3414 °C in the RSC table, the highest of any metal. That is why it is used for lamp filaments, welding electrodes and other parts that must survive extreme heat.
symbol: Watomic_number: 74group: 6period: 6
Top 10 Chemical Elements by Highest Melting Point
The ten elements with the highest melting points, per the Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: tungsten (3414 °C) leads rhenium and osmium, with technetium tenth.
Quick answer
Tungsten (W) has the highest melting point of any element that melts at normal pressure: 3414 °C, according to the Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table. Rhenium (3185 °C) is second and osmium (3033 °C) third. Carbon is left out because it turns straight to vapour at atmospheric pressure instead of melting. Figures checked October 2026.
The elements that stay solid at the highest temperatures are all metals, and most are the so-called refractory metals: tungsten, rhenium, tantalum, molybdenum and niobium. Platinum-group metals (osmium, iridium, ruthenium) and hafnium and technetium fill out the top ten. Their heat resistance is why they turn up in jet engines, rocket nozzles, furnace parts and lamp filaments. Carbon is not ranked. At normal atmospheric pressure it does not melt at all; it sublimes, passing straight from solid to gas, and only forms a liquid at much higher pressures.
Melting point (°C)
Tungsten (W)
Rhenium (Re)
Osmium (Os)
Tantalum (Ta)
Molybdenum (Mo)
Niobium (Nb)
Iridium (Ir)
Ruthenium (Ru)
Hafnium (Hf)
Technetium (Tc)
The ranking
2
Rhenium (Re)
Rhenium melts at 3185 °C. Although it is one of the rarest elements in Earth's crust, it is a key ingredient in nickel-based superalloys for jet-engine turbine blades.
symbol: Reatomic_number: 75group: 7period: 6
3
Osmium (Os)
Osmium melts at 3033 °C. Better known as the densest element, it is a hard, brittle platinum-group metal used in very hard, wear-resistant alloys.
symbol: Osatomic_number: 76group: 8period: 6
4
Tantalum (Ta)
Tantalum melts at 3017 °C, only 16 °C below osmium. It resists corrosion very well and is used in capacitors, chemical-plant equipment and surgical implants.
symbol: Taatomic_number: 73group: 5period: 6
5
Molybdenum (Mo)
Molybdenum melts at 2623 °C, the highest of any period-5 element. It is widely used to strengthen steels that have to work at high temperatures.
symbol: Moatomic_number: 42group: 6period: 5
6
Niobium (Nb)
Niobium melts at 2477 °C. It is added to high-strength steels and is used in superconducting magnets, including those in MRI scanners and particle accelerators.
symbol: Nbatomic_number: 41group: 5period: 5
7
Iridium (Ir)
Iridium melts at 2446 °C. It is a very corrosion-resistant platinum-group metal used for crucibles and spark-plug tips.
symbol: Iratomic_number: 77group: 9period: 6
8
Ruthenium (Ru)
Ruthenium melts at 2333 °C. This platinum-group metal is used in electrical contacts, hard-disk coatings and as a catalyst.
symbol: Ruatomic_number: 44group: 8period: 5
9
Hafnium (Hf)
Hafnium melts at 2233 °C. It absorbs neutrons strongly, so it is used in control rods for nuclear reactors, and it also goes into high-temperature alloys.
symbol: Hfatomic_number: 72group: 4period: 6
10
Technetium (Tc)
Technetium melts at 2157 °C. It is the lightest element with no stable isotopes, so almost all of it is made artificially; one of its isotopes is widely used in medical imaging.
symbol: Tcatomic_number: 43group: 7period: 5
Full comparison
| # | Name | symbol | atomic_number | group | period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tungsten (W) | W | 74 | 6 | 6 |
| 2 | Rhenium (Re) | Re | 75 | 7 | 6 |
| 3 | Osmium (Os) | Os | 76 | 8 | 6 |
| 4 | Tantalum (Ta) | Ta | 73 | 5 | 6 |
| 5 | Molybdenum (Mo) | Mo | 42 | 6 | 5 |
| 6 | Niobium (Nb) | Nb | 41 | 5 | 5 |
| 7 | Iridium (Ir) | Ir | 77 | 9 | 6 |
| 8 | Ruthenium (Ru) | Ru | 44 | 8 | 5 |
| 9 | Hafnium (Hf) | Hf | 72 | 4 | 6 |
| 10 | Technetium (Tc) | Tc | 43 | 7 | 5 |
How we ranked this
Elements are ranked by melting point in °C as listed in the fact box of each element's page in the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) periodic table, highest first. One source is used for every figure; other handbooks differ by a few degrees for some elements (for example, some give tungsten as 3422 °C), but the order of the top ten is the same. Carbon is excluded because it has no melting point at atmospheric pressure: it sublimes. Figures checked October 2026.
FAQ
Why isn't carbon on this list?
At normal atmospheric pressure carbon does not melt. When heated it sublimes, turning directly from solid to gas. Liquid carbon only forms at pressures many times higher than atmospheric pressure, so carbon has no melting point to compare on this list.
Which element comes eleventh?
Boron. The RSC lists its melting point as 2077 °C, below technetium's 2157 °C.
Why do other sources give tungsten's melting point as 3422 °C?
Reference tables differ by a few degrees for the highest-melting metals because the measurements are very hard to make. Some handbooks give tungsten 3422 °C; the RSC gives 3414 °C. This list uses the RSC for every element so the figures are comparable; the order of the top ten is the same either way.
Sources
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Tungsten (melting point 3414 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Rhenium (melting point 3185 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Osmium (melting point 3033 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Tantalum (melting point 3017 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Molybdenum (melting point)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Niobium (melting point 2477 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Iridium (melting point 2446 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Ruthenium (melting point 2333 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Hafnium (melting point)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Technetium (melting point 2157 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Boron (melting point 2077 °C)
- Royal Society of Chemistry periodic table: Carbon
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