Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory create new super alloy that swaps out cobalt for manganese.
April 16, 2025
minute read time
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) created a new super alloy that swaps out cobalt for manganese.
The new alloy shows promise for use in future advanced reactors and could reduce U.S. dependence on China-sourced cobalt.
The Cobalt Alternative
Nickle-based super alloys made with cobalt are currently the material of choice for many applications such as nuclear reactors and space vehicles due to their durability in extreme environments.
China is currently the leading producer of refined cobalt with more than 75 percent of the world’s raw cobalt sourced from Chinese controlled mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Supply chain disruptions paired with increased demand for cobalt motivated PNNL researchers to seek an alternative super alloy for use in advanced nuclear technologies.
Researchers began by using computer simulations to find potential alloy compositions which led them to manganese.
The team created the new alloy using a traditional casting method and an advanced manufacturing technique called friction stir consolidation, which uses friction heat to mix materials to customize alloy microstructure.
“We are so used to only focusing on the mechanical properties of a particular alloy, we aren’t thinking about the availability of the raw materials,” said PNNL Senior Technical Advisor for Advanced Material Systems Isabella van Rooyen. “More researchers, especially in the manufacturing space, must realize the opportunities to reduce or replace critical materials that are on the supply risk list—and see the benefit that this will allow us to move faster during manufacturing while maintaining performance requirements.”
What’s Next?
PNNL is currently seeking industry collaborators to scale up manufacturing of the new alloy and assess its performance in different applications.
Research on critical materials substitution could help develop domestic supply chains for super alloys used in the nuclear industry, resulting in more affordable, reliable, and secure American energy.
The work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies program, which aims to accelerate the commercialization of new materials and manufacturing technologies.