HEA Additive Manufacturing Patent Landscape 2026
The high-entropy alloy additive manufacturing field has grown sharply on a multi-year basis, with Proterial Ltd holding a clear lead over a fragmented second tier dominated by Chinese universities and aerospace institutes. Activity is concentrated in powder-bed and alloy-design routes, leaving welding, coating, and pump-component branches comparatively under-served.
Proterial leads a Chinese-university-heavy field with a modest top-tier concentration
Proterial Ltd is the clear frontrunner with 31 patent families, more than twice the count of any other single filer. Hamilton Sundstrand Corp and AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials tie for second at 11 and 10 patent families respectively, followed closely by Wenzhou University at 10.
The top five filers account for 22% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, indicating that no single bloc controls the field. Beyond the top two commercial players, the ranking is populated almost entirely by Chinese universities and state research institutes, signaling that academic output—rather than industrial consolidation—drives most filing activity.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Proterial Ltd | 31 | |
| 2 | Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation | 11 | |
| 3 | AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials | 10 | |
| 4 | Wenzhou University | 10 | |
| 5 | Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 8 | |
| 6 | HUAZHONG UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 7 | |
| 7 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH BEIJING | 6 | |
| 8 | Harbin Institute of Technology | 6 | |
| 9 | Beijing Institute of Technology | 6 | |
| 10 | Northwestern Polytechnical University | 6 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Guizhou University | 6 | |
| 12 | South China University of Technology | 5 | |
| 13 | RTX Corporation | 5 | |
| 14 | Shanghai University | 5 | |
| 15 | Beijing University of Technology | 5 | |
| 16 | Central South University | 5 | |
| 17 | Tianjin University of Technology | 5 | |
| 18 | Guangdong Institute of New Materials | 5 | |
| 19 | City University of Hong Kong | 5 | |
| 20 | Tianjin University | 5 |
Proterial’s lead, built on alloy-design and powder-metallurgy patents, positions it as the primary commercial reference point for licensing discussions and freedom-to-operate analysis. The fragmented academic tier means many families are likely to be lightly enforced but also lightly licensed, creating both risk and opportunity for industrial entrants.
The most recent 18–24 months of data are understated due to publication lag; apparent stabilization in 2023–2025 does not represent a true plateau. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sharp multi-year growth, powder-alloy core dominates the technology mix
Two charts together tell the story: a filing curve that more than doubled from 2020 to 2022 before easing, and a technology breakdown where three IPC branches account for the overwhelming majority of activity.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings rose from 9 families in 2017 to a peak of 63 in 2022, representing a 124% increase in the recent three-year window versus the prior three-year window. Volume has eased from that 2022 peak; figures for 2024–2026 are further suppressed by publication lag and should not be read as a decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
Three branches—B22F (powder metallurgy), B33Y (additive manufacturing processes), and C22C (alloys)—anchor the field and appear in comparable volumes, confirming that composition design and process engineering are developed in tandem. Adjacent branches such as C22F (non-ferrous metal treatment), B23K (welding/brazing), and C23C (coating) are present but at a fraction of the core volume, marking them as under-served relative to the primary activity.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Complex concentrated alloy and high entropy alloy …
A complex concentrated alloy (CCA) and/or high entropy alloy (HEA) additive manufacturing nozzle can include a nozzle body defining at least four powder channels. Each powder channel can be configured to be connected to a powder supply of a plurality of powder supplies to receive a powder from the powder supply for ejecting the powder toward a build area to… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alloy member, process for producing said alloy mem… | 50 |
| 2 | Alloy article, method for manufacturing same, and … | 49 |
| 3 | 一种增材制造用纳米陶瓷增强高熵合金复合粉末及其制备方法和应用 | 46 |
| 4 | 一种高熵合金双电弧熔丝协同增材制造的方法 | 45 |
| 5 | High entropy alloy for external components | 44 |
| 6 | 一种AlCoCrFeNi<sub>2.1</sub>共晶高熵合金及其激光选区增材制造制备方法 | 41 |
| 7 | High-entropy multielement alloy matrixcoating comp… | 41 |
| 8 | Alloy article, method for manufacturing said alloy… | 41 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the field structure means for R&D prioritization
The combination of a growth lifecycle, a fragmented academic majority, and concentrated commercial leadership creates a distinct set of entry conditions for industrial and institutional R&D teams.
Growth stage with peak-year easing
The field is classified as Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits 124% above the prior three-year window, confirming broad expansion. Annual volume peaked in 2022 and has eased since, though publication lag obscures true recent output. For R&D planners, this means core process and composition patents are being filed aggressively but the field has not yet matured to a point where white space is closed.
Lifecycle: GrowthThin commercial layer over a wide academic base
The top five filers hold 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined output, a relatively low concentration ratio. Proterial Ltd stands apart commercially; below it, the ranking is dominated by Chinese universities and state institutes whose patents may be less actively enforced. Industrial entrants face a patent thicket that is wide but shallow, requiring landscape monitoring rather than a small set of blocking-patent workarounds.
Moderate concentrationNorthwestern Polytechnical University is the most active co-filer hub
Northwestern Polytechnical University co-files with its Shenzhen Research Institute (3 joint families), making it the most active collaborative pairing in the corpus. Central South University and Suzhou Laboratory share 2 joint families. Additional co-filing pairs connect AVIC Beijing Institute with Shanghai University, the Institute of Metal Research with both Liaoning Zhongke Boyuan Technology and Nanchang Hangkong University, and Guizhou University with three local partners. Collaboration is concentrated within China’s academic-industrial ecosystem; no cross-border co-filing pairs are evident in the data.
China-centric ecosystemChina-dominant filing with limited Western coverage
China accounts for 276 patent records, far ahead of the United States at 37 and Europe (EPO) at 22. PCT (WIPO) filings total 8, suggesting limited international prosecution ambition from most filers. For Western industrial players, this geographic skew implies that many Chinese-origin families carry minimal blocking risk outside China, but that Proterial Ltd and Hamilton Sundstrand, filing in US and EP offices, are the primary Western-market IP concerns.
China leads; US/EP thinGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Northwestern Polytechnical University Shenzhen Research Institute | 3 |
| Central South University | Suzhou Laboratory | 2 |
| AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials | Shanghai University | 1 |
| Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Liaoning Zhongke Boyuan Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Nanchang Hangkong University | 1 |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Nanye Metal Products Technology (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Guizhou University | Guiyang Vocational and Technical College | 1 |
| Guizhou University | Guizhou Shengli Technology Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Guizhou University | China Railway Guizhou Highway Construction Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Northwestern Polytechnical University Taicang Yangtze River Delta Research Institute | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Proterial Ltd and Hamilton Sundstrand anchor the commercial tier
Two industrial filers separate from the academic majority; their technology emphasis and momentum differ meaningfully and signal distinct strategic postures.
Proterial Ltd
Proterial Ltd holds 31 patent families, the largest position in the corpus by a wide margin. Its filings concentrate on alloy composition (C22C 30) and powder metallurgy (B22F 1, B22F 9), reflecting a materials-first strategy that spans feedstock through near-net-shape fabrication. Momentum data classifies Proterial as a new entrant in the recent window, suggesting its position was built quickly from a small prior base rather than through decades of incremental filing.
families: 31Hamilton Sundstrand Corp
Hamilton Sundstrand Corp holds 11 patent families and focuses on additive manufacturing process parameters (B33Y 10) and powder-bed consolidation (B22F 3, B22F 10), indicating an application-pull approach oriented toward aerospace components rather than alloy discovery. Like Proterial, momentum data marks it as a new entrant in the recent period, consistent with a rapid ramp from a small base. As a Raytheon Technologies (RTX) subsidiary, its portfolio links to RTX Corp’s separate 5-family position in the ranking.
families: 11| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Proterial Ltd | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Wenzhou University | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Central South University | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Guizhou University | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant HEA-AM core
Five IPC branches appear in the corpus at low share relative to the B22F/B33Y/C22C triad. Two stand out for having plausible technical rationale and realistic entry paths.
B23K · Welding, soldering & brazing
With 35 patent records and a 3% share of the corpus, wire-arc and laser-hybrid welding routes for HEA deposition are sparsely covered despite being a commercially viable alternative to powder-bed fusion for large-format or repair applications. The low filing density suggests most filers are focused on powder-bed processes, leaving directed-energy deposition via welding arcs as an adjacent entry point with lower feedstock cost and scalability advantages for structural aerospace and energy components.
Search this in Eureka →C23C · Coating & surface deposition
C23C accounts for 28 patent records and 2% share, indicating that HEA coatings applied by thermal spray, cold spray, or physical vapor deposition are under-patented relative to bulk additive manufacturing. Given the well-documented wear, corrosion, and oxidation resistance of HEAs, surface-engineering applications on conventional substrates represent a lower-capital entry route with near-term industrial demand in tooling, turbine blades, and biomedical implants.
Search this in Eureka →How leaders differ by technology route
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | C22C 30 · Alloys | B33Y 10 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 10 · Powder metallurgy | B33Y 70 · Additive manufacturing (3D printing) | B22F 1 · Powder metallurgy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proterial Ltd | Strong · 29 | Strong · 15 | Moderate · 7 | Moderate · 12 | Strong · 24 |
| AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials | Strong · 8 | Strong · 9 | Strong · 10 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 6 |
| Wenzhou University | Strong · 8 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 | Absent |
| Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 5 | Absent |
| Huazhong University of Science and Technology | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 6 | Absent |
| Central South University | Strong · 5 | Strong · 7 | Absent | Strong · 4 | Absent |
| Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation | Absent | Strong · 11 | Moderate · 5 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus contains 349 patent families in scope. China accounts for the largest share of filing offices, with 276 patent records, followed by the United States at 37 and Europe (EPO) at 22.
Proterial Ltd leads with 31 patent families, more than double the count of the next-ranked filer. Hamilton Sundstrand Corp ranks second at 11 patent families, followed by AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials and Wenzhou University at 10 each.
The field is classified as Growth. The recent three-year filing window is 124% above the prior three-year window. Annual volume peaked in 2022 and has eased since, though the most recent years are further understated by publication lag, so the easing should not be interpreted as a structural decline.
Three branches form the core: B22F (powder metallurgy), B33Y (additive manufacturing processes), and C22C (alloys). Each appears in roughly similar volumes, confirming that composition design and process engineering are developed in parallel rather than sequentially.
The branches with the lowest relative filing density compared to the core include B23K (welding, soldering and brazing) at 35 patent records, C23C (coating and surface deposition) at 28 patent records, and F04D (non-positive-displacement pumps) at 18 patent records. These are observations of relative sparsity; technical and commercial feasibility should be validated before treating them as investment targets.
Collaboration is modest and concentrated within China. The most active co-filing pair is Northwestern Polytechnical University with its Shenzhen Research Institute, sharing 3 joint families. Central South University and Suzhou Laboratory account for 2 joint families. Most other co-filing pairs share a single family. No cross-border co-filing pairs are evident in the evidence.
Ready to map your own HEA additive manufacturing landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.