This paper describes the results to date ofresearch done to compare and contrast the
tribological properties ofnanostructured tungsten carbide-cobalt composites consolidated by
selective laser sintering (SLS) and conventional grain size composites ofthe same chemical
composition consolidated by conventional commercial methods. The powder preprocessing and
selective laser sintering methods will briefly be described. The tribological testing methods will be
discussed, and the tribological properties ofthe selective laser sintered and commercially
consolidated materials will be compared. It will be seen that the nanosized WC-Co composites
have far superior harness and wear resistance compared to their microsized counterparts.Mechanical Engineerin
