We have recently been lucky to secure more funding from the ARC Linkage scheme. The aim of this project is to better understand the origins of the properties of tungsten-carbide cobalt based (WC-Co) hard metals and how these may be tuned via alloying and processing. The team of researchers from The University of Sydney and UNSW will guide the design and development of new WC-Co based hard metals in collaboration with our industrial partners, paying special attention to the structure and chemistry of the Co binder (see feature image). Hard metals are used in industrial-scale turning, milling and drilling processes to cut other materials into finished parts with precise tolerance and surface finish. They are high-value tooling materials that underpin the manufacture of critical precision parts in a range of nationally strategic industry segments including aerospace, biomedical, construction, mining, oil & gas, post-processing of additively manufactured parts, and more.