Story

Each cube is highly polished by hand and laser engraved with its periodic info.

• Size: 10x10x10mm
• Surface: Mirror Finish

About the Collection

At Polar Metals, we seek to spice up your life with interesting and unusual metals in unexpected ways. The elements on the periodic table are everywhere, in fact, they make up everything! We are bringing you the Polar Aerospace Cubes Collection.

Each cube is solid and of high purity between 99.5% and 99.99%, highly polished by hand for many hours to reach a mirror finish, and laser engraved with the element's periodic info.

Here are some interesting facts about the metals widely used in the aerospace and aircraft industry. Aerospace is a harsh environment, requiring strong materials that can take on pressures and stress caused by high-altitudes, the vacuum of space, extreme heat, and weather conditions.

Aluminum

• Durable in high stressed environments, temperature, and pressure extremes
• Its formability offers smaller aircraft parts for easy fabrication
• Aluminum alloys offer high electrical conductivity
• It is a lightweight, cost-effective, and fuel-efficient alternative to other materials.

It was a strategic material during wartime and has been the preferred choice of metal materials for aerospace applications. It is an ideal material for machinery and engine components. The world's first metal airplane dates back to 1915 when Hugo Junkers, an aircraft designer, built the first full-metal aircraft in 1915 which is mostly made of aluminum alloys.

Titanium

• The highest strength-to-density ratio of any metallic element
• 50% lighter and 30% stronger than steel
• Excellent resistance to corrosion, nearly equivalent to platinum
• Withstands moderately high temperatures without creeping

Structures made of titanium have a fatigue limit that guarantees longevity in some applications. Titanium is alloyed with aluminum, zirconium, nickel, vanadium, and other elements to manufacture a variety of components including critical structural parts, fire walls, landing gear, exhaust ducts (helicopters), and hydraulic systems.

In the 1950s, the titanium industry grew in response to the continuous demand of the emerging aerospace industry. In fact, about two-thirds of all titanium metal produced is used in aircraft engine parts and frames. The Ti-6Al-4V alloy accounts for almost 50% of all alloys used in aircraft applications. Titanium is used in the walls of the Juno spacecraft's vault to shield the electronics, reducing the total particle radiation by roughly a factor of 800.

Tungsten

• 70% denser than lead
• Denser than Uranium
• Has the highest melting point of any metallic element: 3422 °C
• Has the highest boiling point: 5,930 °C
• 4x hard than Titanium
• 19x denser than water

Tungsten and its alloys are widely used in aerospace engineering and machining. These alloys are used in machinery components to ensure balance and minimize vibrations. It is extremely useful in checking the balance of aerospace components and the complete aircraft itself which is essential to ensure a safe and stable flight.

Copper

• Soft, malleable, and ductile
• Has high electrical conductivity (59.6×10⁶ S/m)
• Has the second-highest thermal conductivity (only after silver) among pure metals at room temperature
• It’s Oligodynamic, which means it naturally kills germs on contact.
• Along with gold, the only non-greyish pure metal
• Takes on its own unique hue over time and can be “reset” to brilliancy with baking soda and water (or salt and vinegar)

Copper‐based alloys are widely used in aircraft engineering where critical components require materials of construction with high strength, good ductility and resistance to corrosion. These components are often safety‐critical and long‐term reliable operation is a paramount consideration.

Cobalt

• Has a metallic luster of silver-gray
• Melting point 1495℃
• Ductile and ferromagnetic
• Keeps magnetism with only one magnetization
• The curie point of cobalt is 1150℃ (Iron: 769℃, Nickel: 358℃)
• It is a very scarce small metal resource and is known as “industrial monosodium glutamate” and “industrial tooth”.
• It is one of the important strategic resources.

In aviation, cobalt is used in engines because of the high temperatures they can reach. Engines often reach over 1,400 degrees celsius making cobalt a necessity because of its high melting point of 1,495 degrees celsius. Its high melting point allows it to withstand extreme temperatures easier.

Nickel

• One of the four ferromagnetic elements (the others are iron, cobalt, and gadolinium)
• Its alloy remains structurally sound at temperatures as high as 1600°F/870°C
• Alloy 36 has extremely low levels of expansion at cryogenic temperatures of 500°F and above to consistently retain its shape and strength
• Used to make austenitic300 series stainless steel
• Used as a binder in the cemented tungsten carbide or hard metal industry and used in proportions of 6% to 12% by weight

Nickel alloys are widely used in the aerospace industry to make turbine blades, discs and other critical jet engine parts because they provide excellent adhesion, corrosion protection, hardness, wear and erosion resistance, and it is appropriate for applications where stress needs to be minimized. In aircraft engines, which operate at very high temperatures and stresses, special nickel-based alloys are used.

Alloy 80A has exceptional creep resistance properties. This alloy’s ability to retain its fortitude under high degrees of stress and at temperatures of up to 850°C/ 1562°F makes it extremely useful for the construction of aircraft exhaust valves and turbine rotors.

Magnesium

• 1/10 the density of our Tungsten sample
• The lightest metal used for engineering
• Only 2/3 the density of Aluminum, the alloy of the two combines lightness and strength
• Highly flammable when powdered or cut into thin strips
• Extremely important to our health, especially our bones

In aerospace, the main advantage of magnesium is in the weight saving, where it is a candidate to replace aluminum. Magnesium is widely used as a structural material in airplane construction.

Specification

• Tungsten: 19.2g, 99.95% purity
• Copper: 8.9g, 99.95% purity
• Nickel: 8.9g, 99.5% purity
• Cobalt: 8.9g, 99.96% purity
• Titanium: 4.5g, 99.5% purity
• Aluminum: 2.7g, 99.99% purity
• Magnesium: 1.7g, 99.9% purity

For safer, more reliable and more cost-effective aircraft, the industry continues to utilize the benefits of different metals and alloys in their applications. Heat-resistant alloys are often used to develop the engines (one of the most complex parts of the aircraft that needs to withstand scorching temperatures of 3,800 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2,100 degrees Celsius) and include: titanium alloys, nickel alloys and nonmetal composite materials like ceramics.

*Note: Please wear gloves when handling.