This data-file evaluates 100 patents, filed over the past decade, by leading companies in high entropy alloys, and by academic institutions. 20 companies stood out, developing harder and more resistant tools for machining/drilling, alloys that can withstand extreme temperatures, and novel surface coatings.
High entropy alloys (HEAs) comprise at least five elements, in relatively equal proportions. This state space contains trillions of possible materials, which are increasingly being evaluated via AI.
Some HEAs are extremely stable, hard, strong, wear-resistant or corrosion-resistant. Others have novel properties as catalysts or other functional/electrochemical properties, owing to their unique crystal shapes.
This data-file evaluates 100 patents, filed over the past decade, by leading companies in high entropy alloys. Applications are charted below, across new energies, industrials, aerospace, oil & gas, autos, chemicals, mining, semiconductors, electronics and pharmaceuticals.
Specific examples find applications in turbines, engines, and their hot gas path parts, catalysts, battery electrodes, drilling tools, milling tools, machining tools, hydrogen storage, pump impellers, compressors, nuclear components, bearings, airframes and possibly also magnets or superconductors.
The ‘leading companies’ tab of the data-file contains our notes on the c20 most active patent filers. For example, patent <US2023392236A1> from RTX describes Cr-Mo-Ta based HEAs that have 600-830MPa yield strength at 1,300ºC, are oxidation resistant, and could be used for aerospace blades, vanes or nozzles.
Similarly, Oerlikon patent <US2024300858A1> covers HEM coatings with low thermal inertia, which means they do not take much energy to heat up or cool down, when an engine fires, which improves engine efficiency and prevents premature fuel ignition (aka ‘knocking’). Our appreciation for surface coatings has been enhanced by our work into HEAs.
Please download the data-file for our underlying notes into leading companies in high entropy alloys, and the underlying details of the patents that helped us reached these conclusions.