Researchers from Skoltech and Tomsk Polytechnic University have used an unusual technique from the aerospace industry to synthesize hafnium-tantalum carbide, a hard-to-melt material for coating electrical and mechanical components that operate under extreme conditions. Inexpensive and effective, their plasma dynamic method can produce high-quality carbide both as powders and as coatings on diverse substrates. The research findings are reported in Advanced Functional Materials.