Scientists at the University of Nottingham have successfully fused tungsten and copper using multi-metal 3D printing, a major materials science hurdle for nuclear fusion. The DIADEM project creates a durable metamaterial that can withstand the extreme 100-million-degree heat inside fusion reactors, potentially enabling their commercial scalability.

This addresses a critical engineering barrier. Tungsten’s resilience and copper’s conductivity are ideal for reactor components, but their disparate melting points made traditional joining impossible. The additive manufacturing process blends the metals at the molecular level, producing a composite resistant to cracking under thermal stress.

The breakthrough supports the U.K. government’s ambition to have a fusion prototype plant operational by 2040. Unlike fission, fusion replicates the sun’s process, offering near-limitless energy without long-lived radioactive waste or meltdown risks. Sustaining reactions affordably has been the primary obstacle, with material failures a key cost driver.

A viable, durable material like this could accelerate the timeline for pilot plants, attracting significant investment into the fusion sector. The project, backed by U.K. Research and Innovation and involving Rolls-Royce, demonstrates how advanced manufacturing is tackling one of the energy source’s toughest engineering challenges, moving it closer to being a practical power source.