Question About Density: Can Something Harder than Osmium Exist?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the possibility of creating a material denser and harder than Osmium, which is known for its high density of 22.59 g/cm³. Participants suggest that while Osmium's isotopes can be purified to potentially achieve higher densities, the feasibility of creating a stable, usable metal with greater density remains questionable. The conversation emphasizes that any new material must be stable and practical, ruling out extreme options like black holes or neutron star material.

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Swami
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I have a question about density: would it, in principle, be possible to create something with greater density and hardness than, say, Osmium? Or is that impossible? Is density constrained by the elements of the periodic table, or can something with greater density be created? The finished product should be stable and usable, like a metal -- so naturally a miniature black hole or portion of a neutron star wouldn't really work.

Any thoughts?
 
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Weelll, given how natural Osmium has a rather widespread distribution of isotopes, you could try to purify one of the higher isotopes, thus achieving a higher density.
Probably not what you had in mind though :)
 

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