Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee used electron-beam additive manufacturing to 3D-print the first defect-free tungsten parts with complex geometries. The accomplishment could have positive implications for clean-energy technologies such as fusion energy. 

In its pure form, tungsten is brittle at room temperature and shatterseasily. To counter this issue, ORNL researchers developed an electron-beam 3D-printer to deposit tungsten, layer by layer, into precise 3D shapes. The technology uses a magnetically directed stream of particles in a high-vacuum enclosure to melt and bind powder into a solidmetal object. The vacuum environment reduces foreign material contamination and residual stress formation.

More information www.ornl.gov