- Scientists have found a promising new way to manufacture one of industry’s toughest materials—tungsten carbide–cobalt—using advanced 3D printing. Normally, producing this ultra-hard material requires high-pressure processes that waste large amounts of expensive tungsten and cobalt. The new approach uses a hot-wire laser technique that softens the metals rather than fully melting them, allowing manufacturers to deposit the material only where it’s needed.
A new 3D-printing approach could transform how ultra-hard tungsten carbide tools are made. By softening metals with a hot-wire laser instead of melting them, researchers produced defect-free carbides while reducing costly material waste. Credit: Shutterstock
Tungsten carbide-cobalt (WC-Co) is widely valued for its extreme hardness, but that same strength also makes it very difficult to shape and manufacture. Current production methods consume large amounts of costly material while delivering relatively modest yields. As a result, researchers have been searching for a more efficient and economical way to produce these exceptionally tough materials.
WC-Co cemented carbides are essential for applications that demand strong resistance to wear and high hardness, including cutting and construction tools. Traditionally, these materials are produced through powder metallurgy. In this process, powders of WC and Co are compressed under high pressure and heated in sintering machines to form solid cemented carbide. While this method produces very durable final products, it uses significant quantities of expensive raw materials and generates inefficient yields.
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