Scientists just found a way to 3D print one of the hardest metals on Earth

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.

from Top Technology News -- ScienceDaily https://ift.tt/xu3p4yh