Niobium
Niobium additive manufacturing is a game changer. Refractory metals like molybdenum, niobium, tantalum, tungsten, and rhenium are extremely heat- and corrosion-resistant, and they retain their structural integrity even at elevated temperatures. This makes them excellent choices for a range of challenging aerospace, industrial, and scientific uses. (Reference)
One problem is that refractory metals are extraordinarily difficult to process via traditional fabrication methods, such as machining and forming. Between this and their relatively high cost, refractory metals use has long been limited to applications in which workpiece shapes are relatively simple, material removal is minimal, and easier-to-manufacture superalloys wouldn’t perform as needed.
We are changing that with additive manufacturing.
