Cobalt Chrome (CoCr / CoCrMo)
A cobalt-chromium-molybdenum alloy with exceptional wear and corrosion resistance. CoCr is the standard material for dental restorations, orthopaedic implants, and gas turbine components requiring high-temperature wear performance.
About Cobalt Chrome (CoCr / CoCrMo)
Cobalt-chrome alloys (typically CoCrMo conforming to ASTM F75 or ISO 5832-4) combine high hardness, excellent wear resistance, and biocompatibility. In AM, CoCr is extensively used for dental frameworks, crowns, and bridges — where the technology has largely replaced traditional lost-wax casting.
The material also serves aerospace and power generation applications, particularly for components requiring wear resistance at elevated temperatures (up to 1,000 °C for short durations).
CoCr processes well in LPBF, achieving >99.5% density with tensile strengths of 1,100–1,300 MPa. The material is inherently hard (35–45 HRC) and difficult to machine — near-net-shape AM production minimises post-processing requirements.
Typical Applications
- Dental crowns, bridges, and frameworks
- Orthopaedic knee and hip implants
- Gas turbine vanes and nozzle guide vanes
- Wear-resistant tooling inserts
Engineering Considerations
- Extremely difficult to machine — plan for minimal post-processing
- Cobalt is classified as a substance of concern under REACH — monitor regulatory changes
- Dental applications often require specific certifications (MDR Class IIa)
- EBM-produced CoCr shows different microstructure (equiaxed) vs LPBF (columnar)