A rare crystal discovery could make 3D-printed metals much stronger

How Quasicrystals Strengthen Aerospace-Grade 3D-Printed Aluminum

From Theory To Practice Sometimes, Nobel Prize attribution goes to research that might be a little abstract for the greater public. This was the case for the 2011 Nobel Prize In Chemistry, which rewarded the discovery of “quasicrystals”. This is because a lot of materials in nature, as well as man-made are organized in “normal” crystals. What defines them is a simple 3D structure at the atomic level that repeats millions of times, up to the macr…

A rare crystal discovery could make 3D-printed metals much stronger

Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have discovered something surprising that could change how we make strong, lightweight metal parts using 3D printing. While studying a new type of aluminum alloy under a powerful electron microscope, materials engineer Andrew Iams noticed a strange pattern in how the atoms were arranged. It […] The post A rare crystal discovery could make 3D-printed metals much stronger appe…