What does it take to make the toughest material in the world?

In a collaboration between the groups of MSE's own Professors Robert Ritchie, Andrew Minor, and Mark Asta, together with colleagues at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, researchers have produced the toughest material in the world. The work, published in Science, is focused on an alloy of chromium, cobalt, and nickel and shows a pathway to producing a material that is both extremely ductile - meaning it can readily change its shape - and is very strong. The combination produces a material with record breaking toughness. Also surprising is that the properties actually get even better when the material is cooled - something not normally seen in materials. The work has been highlighted by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as well.