High-Entropy Alloy Joining & Welding Patent Landscape
The high-entropy alloy joining and welding field is in a growth phase dominated by Chinese research universities, with Xi’an University of Technology holding the largest position among 238 patent families tracked. Activity is still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak, and a handful of institutions—led by Honda Motor—represent the primary non-academic competitive force.
Chinese universities dominate a moderately concentrated field
Xi’an University of Technology leads the applicant ranking with 23 patent families, followed by Honda Motor Co., Ltd. with 18 and Harbin Institute of Technology with 14. The top five filers—Xi’an University of Technology, Honda Motor, Harbin Institute of Technology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, and Taiyuan University of Technology—collectively account for 30% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating a moderately concentrated landscape.
A clear two-tier structure is visible: the leader holds 23 patent families versus a second-tier cluster of institutions ranging from 8 to 14 families. Beyond the top five, concentration drops sharply, with many applicants holding three to five families.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi’an University of Technology | 23 | |
| 2 | Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | 18 | |
| 3 | Harbin Institute of Technology | 14 | |
| 4 | Northwestern Polytechnical University | 13 | |
| 5 | Taiyuan University of Technology | 12 | |
| 6 | Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) | 8 | |
| 7 | AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials | 7 | |
| 8 | Colorado School of Mines | 6 | |
| 9 | Zhejiang University of Technology | 5 | |
| 10 | Jilin University | 5 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Guizhou Institute of Technology | 5 | |
| 12 | Shanghai University of Engineering Science | 5 | |
| 13 | Northeastern University at Qinhuangdao | 4 | |
| 14 | Zhengzhou Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering Co., Ltd. | 4 | |
| 15 | East China Jiaotong University | 4 | |
| 16 | Foshan University | 4 | |
| 17 | Dalian University of Technology | 4 | |
| 18 | University of Ulsan Foundation for Industry-Academy Cooperation | 3 | |
| 19 | KOREA INST OF SCI & TECH | 3 | |
| 20 | Beijing University of Technology | 3 |
The dominance of university applicants signals that the technology remains largely research-driven. Honda Motor is the single most prominent industrial applicant, making it the outlier with a commercially oriented filing strategy in an otherwise academic field.
Filing data for 2025–2026 is subject to publication lag and is likely undercounted; apparent softness in those years should not be interpreted as a real decline. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth intact; welding processes overwhelmingly dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend and IPC technology composition together reveal a field still in expansion on a multi-year basis, with a single dominant process class and a set of adjacent branches that remain comparatively sparse.
Annual filing trend
Filings grew from 7 in 2017 to a peak of 39 in 2022, eased to 30 in 2023 and 27 in 2024, then recorded 39 again in 2025 before dropping to 7 in 2026. The 2025–2026 figures are materially affected by publication lag and should be treated as provisional. The 37% recent-window growth confirms the field is still expanding on a multi-year basis despite the annual moderation from the 2022 peak.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
B23K (Welding, soldering & brazing) accounts for the large majority of IPC records at 260, dwarfing all other branches. C22C (Alloys) is a distant second at 54, followed by B22F (Powder metallurgy) at 20 and B33Y (Additive manufacturing) at 17. The remaining branches—including B32B (Layered products), C23C (Coating & surface deposition), and B21C (Metal extrusion & drawing)—each carry fewer than 15 records, highlighting strong concentration in core joining processes.
↗ 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.
Method of joining high entropy alloy, apparatus fo…
A method of joining a high entropy alloy is provided. The method of joining a high entropy alloy includes the steps of: arranging specimens made of a high entropy alloy to be in contact with each other; and diffusion joining the specimens made of the high entropy alloy by simultaneously applying a compressive stress and a current to a joint of the specimens… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Multi-material component and methods of making the… | 70 |
| 2 | Multi component solid solution high-entropy alloys | 54 |
| 3 | 多材料部件及其制造方法 | 52 |
| 4 | 用于焊接TA2与0Cr18Ni9Ti用高熵合金钎料及其制备方法 | 39 |
| 5 | 用于焊接铜和铝的高熵合金钎料及其制备方法 | 38 |
| 6 | Multi-material component and methods of making the… | 34 |
| 7 | 一种复合高熵合金钎料钎焊陶瓷与金属的方法 | 33 |
| 8 | 用于TIG焊钛/不锈钢的高熵合金焊丝及应用 | 33 |
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 structure means for R&D strategy
The competitive and technological structure of HEA joining points to specific strategic choices for teams evaluating where to enter or deepen investment.
Growth stage, easing from a 2022 peak
The field is classified as Growth: the recent three-year filing window sits well above the prior three-year window, yielding 37% growth. Annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak of 39 filings, but this reflects moderation rather than decline, and publication lag further understates the most recent years. Teams entering now face an active but not yet crowded landscape.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a strong academic bias
The top five filers hold 30% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, a level that leaves meaningful room for new entrants. However, the roster is almost entirely academic institutions, meaning freedom-to-operate concerns are more likely to center on university licensing than corporate enforcement. Honda Motor is the notable exception and the primary industrial competitor to watch.
Moderate concentrationHonda–Colorado School of Mines is the anchor cross-border partnership
The most active co-filing pair is Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Colorado School of Mines, with 6 joint patent families—the single strongest collaboration link in the dataset. Honda also co-files with the University of Tennessee Research Foundation on 2 families. Chinese institutional pairs include Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) with Shandong Ship Technology Research Institute and with Zhengzhou Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering, each at 2 families. These clusters suggest that industry-academia partnerships are the primary model for cross-institutional work.
Cross-border R&DChina-centric filing with thin international coverage
China accounts for 219 of the patent records, making it the overwhelmingly dominant jurisdiction. The United States is a distant second at 23 records, followed by Europe (EPO) and South Korea at 4 each. The thin PCT and EPO presence suggests that most filers are protecting inventions domestically only, leaving broader international patent positions largely uncontested outside China and the US.
China-dominantGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Colorado School of Mines | 6 |
| Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | University of Tennessee Research Foundation | 2 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) | Shandong Ship Technology Research Institute | 2 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) | Zhengzhou Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering Co., Ltd. | 2 |
| Colorado School of Mines | University of Tennessee Research Foundation | 2 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics | 1 |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | AECC Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Co., Ltd. | 1 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) | Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics | 1 |
| Zhejiang University of Technology | Zhejiang Asia General Soldering & Brazing Material Co., Ltd. | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Xi’an University of Technology and Honda Motor lead by distinct routes
The two largest filers differ sharply in orientation: one is a research-driven university covering broad welding processes, and the other is a commercial automotive manufacturer with a layered-products emphasis that signals integration with dissimilar-material joining for vehicle structures.
Xi’an University of Technology
Xi’an University of Technology holds 23 patent families, the largest position in the field. Its technology focus is concentrated in B23K 35 (filler materials and fluxes for welding/soldering/brazing, 23 records) and B23K 9 (arc welding, 10 records), indicating a broad coverage of welding consumable formulations. Momentum data shows the applicant is classified as a new entrant in the recent filing window, consistent with rapid recent accumulation from a low prior base.
patent families: 23Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Honda Motor holds 18 patent families and is the only major industrial (non-academic) filer in the top tier. Its focus splits between B23K 35 (filler/flux materials, 10 records), B32B 15 (metal-containing layered products, 10 records), and B23K 11 (resistance welding, 8 records), pointing to dissimilar-material joining applications relevant to automotive body structures. Honda’s collaboration with Colorado School of Mines (6 joint families) and the University of Tennessee Research Foundation (2 families) anchors the most active industry-academia axis in the dataset.
patent families: 18| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Xi’an University of Technology | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | 8 | ▲ new entrant |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | 3 | ▲ new entrant |
| Taiyuan University of Technology | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| Guizhou Institute of Technology | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Zhejiang University of Technology | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant welding core
Several IPC classes adjacent to the dominant B23K welding core show comparatively sparse coverage, representing observations of relative under-representation that may or may not translate into actionable entry points depending on technical fit and strategic context.
B33Y · Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
With 17 IPC records and a 4% share of the technology composition, additive manufacturing applied to HEA joining is sparsely covered relative to conventional welding. Wire-arc additive manufacturing and laser powder-bed fusion are established routes for depositing HEA compositions, and the intersection with joining—particularly for repair or graded-interface fabrication—has plausible technical value. The sparse filing count suggests that competitors have not yet staked broad positions, making this an adjacent branch worth monitoring for teams already active in AM or laser welding.
Search this in Eureka →C23C · Coating & surface deposition
C23C (Coating and surface deposition) carries only 11 records, representing 3% of the composition. HEA coatings applied at joints—for corrosion resistance, thermal barrier, or diffusion bonding—represent a plausible technical extension of core brazing and solid-state joining work. Coverage is thin enough that early filings in this sub-space could establish meaningful claim scope, though entry requires expertise spanning both HEA metallurgy and surface engineering disciplines.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ across welding process sub-classes
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | B23K 35 · Welding, soldering & brazing | B23K 20 · Welding, soldering & brazing | B23K 103 · Welding, soldering & brazing | B23K 9 · Welding, soldering & brazing | B23K 1 · Welding, soldering & brazing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xi’an University of Technology | Strong · 23 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 10 | Absent |
| Honda Motor Co., Ltd. | Strong · 10 | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 5 | Moderate · 4 | Absent |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Strong · 4 | Strong · 7 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 6 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | Strong · 5 | Strong · 4 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Strong · 3 |
| Taiyuan University of Technology | Strong · 9 | Moderate · 3 | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Absent |
| Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) | Strong · 4 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Strong · 5 |
| Colorado School of Mines | Strong · 6 | Absent | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 238 patent families. China is the dominant filing jurisdiction with 219 patent records, while the United States accounts for 23 records and Europe (EPO) for 4.
Xi’an University of Technology leads with 23 patent families, concentrated in filler material and arc welding sub-classes. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. is the largest industrial (non-academic) filer with 18 patent families.
The field is in a Growth stage. Recent three-year filings are 37% above the prior three-year window, so multi-year expansion is confirmed. Annual volume eased from a 2022 peak of 39 filings, and 2025–2026 data is likely undercounted due to publication lag.
B23K (Welding, soldering and brazing) dominates with 260 IPC records. C22C (Alloys) is a distant second at 54 records, followed by B22F (Powder metallurgy) at 20 and B33Y (Additive manufacturing) at 17.
Yes. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and Colorado School of Mines have the most active co-filing relationship with 6 joint patent families. Honda also co-files with the University of Tennessee Research Foundation on 2 families. Chinese pairs include Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai) with both Shandong Ship Technology Research Institute and Zhengzhou Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering, each at 2 joint families.
B33Y (Additive manufacturing) at 17 records and C23C (Coating and surface deposition) at 11 records are the most notable under-served adjacent branches relative to the dominant B23K core. B22F (Powder metallurgy) at 20 records, B32B (Layered products) at 14 records, and B21C (Metal extrusion and drawing) at 9 records also show comparatively sparse coverage.
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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.
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