Sandvik creates 3D printed diamond composite

Swedish engineering group Sandvik has revealed its creation of a 3D printed diamond composite, opening up a range of new possibilities for the material. The company says that the composite is perfect for industrial use owing to its hardness, heat conductivity, low density, thermal expansion and corrosion resistance. This is despite differing from synthetic or natural diamonds through being a composite material, with diamond cemented in a very hard matrix material that ensures it is printable while still retaining its diamond-like properties. The additive manufacturing process used is highly advanced, said Mikael Schuisky, Head of R&D and Operations at Sandvik Additive Manufacturing. We are printing in a slurry consisting of diamond powder and polymer using a method called stereolithography, where complex parts are produced, layer by layer, using ultraviolet light.