High-Entropy Alloys Patent Landscape 2026
High-Entropy Alloys Patent Landscape in 2026
The high-entropy alloys patent field is in sustained growth, with Chinese academic institutions dominating the top ranks and China accounting for the overwhelming majority of filing activity. The competitive structure is moderately concentrated, with the top five filers holding a meaningful but not insurmountable share among the largest filers, leaving room for challengers across alloy composition, additive manufacturing, and surface engineering routes.
Chinese universities lead a growing but moderately concentrated field
University of Science & Technology Beijing holds the top position with 114 patent families, ahead of Proterial Ltd (94 patent families) — the only major non-academic, non-Chinese entrant in the top tier — and Harbin Institute of Technology (91 patent families). The top twenty applicants are almost entirely Chinese universities and state research institutes, reflecting a field driven by publicly funded research.
The top five filers account for 18% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers, indicating moderate rather than extreme concentration. A cluster of institutions — Beijing Institute of Technology, Kunming University of Science & Technology, and Central South University — trails the leader by fewer than 40 patent families, suggesting the top-tier gap can be closed with sustained investment.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UNIV OF SCI & TECH BEIJING | 114 | |
| 2 | Proterial Ltd | 94 | |
| 3 | Harbin Institute of Technology | 91 | |
| 4 | Beijing Institute of Technology | 89 | |
| 5 | KUNMING UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 76 | |
| 6 | Central South University | 72 | |
| 7 | Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 68 | |
| 8 | Dalian University of Technology | 65 | |
| 9 | Northwestern Polytechnical University | 64 | |
| 10 | Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | 64 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Xiangtan University | 56 | |
| 12 | South China University of Technology | 44 | |
| 13 | NANJING UNIV OF SCI & TECH | 44 | |
| 14 | Northeastern University (China) | 42 | |
| 15 | Xi’an Jiaotong University | 42 | |
| 16 | POSTECH Academy-Industry Foundation (Pohang University of Science and Technology) | 41 | |
| 17 | Xi’an Technological University | 40 | |
| 18 | Shanghai University | 38 | |
| 19 | Yanshan University | 35 | |
| 20 | AVIC Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials | 35 |
The dominance of academic filers implies that commercialization pathways — scale-up, process transfer, and application-specific engineering — remain relatively open to industrial players willing to build on a large and accessible prior-art base.
The most recent 18–24 months of data are subject to publication lag and are likely under-counted; apparent softening in 2025–2026 should not be read as a real slowdown. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Sustained volume growth with alloy composition at the core and additive manufacturing rising fast
Annual filing volume and technology branch composition together reveal a field that has grown strongly on a multi-year basis while diversifying from pure alloy design into processing and functional applications.
Annual filing trend
Filings grew from 178 families in 2017 to a recorded peak of 680 in 2024, representing 80% growth over the recent window. The 2025 and 2026 figures are materially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as a decline; the lifecycle assessment confirms the field remains in the Growth stage.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
C22C (Alloys) is the dominant branch by a wide margin, reflecting that compositional invention — new element combinations and phase design — remains the primary focus. B22F (Powder metallurgy) and C23C (Coating & surface deposition) are the next largest branches, signaling strong interest in near-net-shape fabrication and functional coatings. B33Y (Additive manufacturing / 3D printing) is notable as a fast-growing adjacent area, while branches such as H01M (Batteries & fuel cells), G21C (Nuclear reactors), and H01F (Magnets) illustrate the breadth of end-use ambitions.
↗ 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.
Fabrication of high-entropy alloy wire and multi-p…
In various embodiments, metallic wires are fabricated by combining one or more powders of substantially spherical metal particles with one or more powders of non-spherical particles within one or more optional metallic tubes. The metal elements within the powders (and the one or more tubes, if present) collectively define a high entropy alloy of five or… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | High-entropy multielement alloys | 233 |
| 2 | High-temperature resistant alloy with low contents… | 170 |
| 3 | 激光熔覆用高熵合金粉末和高熵合金涂层的制备方法 | 132 |
| 4 | Precipitation Hardening High Entropy Alloy and Met… | 128 |
| 5 | 具有弥散纳米析出相强化效应的高熵合金及其制备方法 | 121 |
| 6 | AlCoCrFeNiTix高熵合金材料及其制备方法 | 107 |
| 7 | Entropy-controlled BCC alloy having strong resista… | 98 |
| 8 | 一种生物医用TiZrNbTa系高熵合金及其制备方法 | 87 |
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.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural factors — maturity stage, concentration, collaboration patterns, and geographic spread — shape where new entrants and incumbents should place their bets.
Growth stage: annual filings still rising
The lifecycle assessment places high-entropy alloys firmly in the Growth stage, with annual filings rising and the most recent years understated by publication lag. The 80% growth recorded over the recent multi-year window confirms this is not a maturing field. Early movers in emerging sub-routes such as additive manufacturing and energy applications retain a meaningful window to establish strong positions before the field consolidates.
Growth stageModerate concentration with a large academic base
The top five filers hold 18% of the combined output of the hundred largest filers — moderate concentration that leaves significant competitive space. The leading positions are held by universities rather than industrial firms, which means the IP landscape is built largely on academic disclosures. Industrial players face a dense but navigable prior-art environment, particularly in alloy composition, with more open space in processing and application-specific branches.
Moderate HHICo-filing concentrated within institutional networks
The most active co-filing pair is Beijing Institute of Technology with its Tangshan Research Institute, with 11 joint filings, followed by Harbin Institute of Technology with its Chongqing Research Institute (7 joint filings) and Northwestern Polytechnical University with its Shenzhen Research Institute (5 joint filings). Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (Chinese Academy of Sciences) is the most networked node, appearing in three separate collaboration pairs. Collaboration is primarily intra-institutional — main campuses filing with affiliated research branches — rather than cross-sector, suggesting limited industry–academia co-development at scale.
Intra-institutionalChina-centric filing with limited international protection
China accounts for the dominant share of patent records, with the United States the next largest jurisdiction, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). South Korea and India are present but at materially lower volumes. Japan, despite Proterial Ltd’s strong ranking, shows relatively few records, suggesting selective rather than broad jurisdictional coverage. Innovators targeting non-Chinese markets face a less crowded filing environment in the US, Europe, and PCT pathways.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing Institute of Technology | Beijing Institute of Technology Tangshan Research Institute | 11 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | Harbin Institute of Technology Chongqing Research Institute | 7 |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Northwestern Polytechnical University Shenzhen Research Institute | 5 |
| Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Yantai Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing Shandong Provincial Laboratory | 5 |
| Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | YANTAI ZHONGKE RES INST OF ADVANCED MATERIALS & GR… | 5 |
| University of Science & Technology Beijing | Xiangtan University | 4 |
| Central South University | Suzhou Laboratory | 4 |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | Northwestern Polytechnical University Taicang Yangtze River Delta Research Institute | 3 |
| Dalian University of Technology | Northeastern University (China) | 3 |
| Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences | Qingdao Research Center for Resource Chemistry and New Materials | 3 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
University of Science & Technology Beijing leads; Proterial Ltd is the sole industrial top-tier player
The top two filers represent structurally different strategic positions: a Chinese research university with accelerating volume and an industrial materials company with deep powder-metallurgy capability but declining recent output.
University of Science & Technology Beijing
The leading filer with 114 patent families, USTB’s technology emphasis concentrates on alloy composition (C22C 30 and C22C 1) with a secondary presence in non-ferrous metal treatment (C22F 1). Recent momentum is strong: filings in the most recent period ran at 3.2× the prior three-year rate, confirming an accelerating rather than plateauing trajectory. This positions USTB as the benchmark to track in core alloy design.
families: 114Proterial Ltd
With 94 patent families, Proterial Ltd is the highest-ranked non-academic filer and the only major industrial player in the top tier. Its technology profile is distinctively process-oriented, with powder metallurgy (B22F 1 and B22F 3) as a strong secondary focus alongside alloy composition — reflecting a commercial interest in manufacturable, near-net-shape HEA products. However, recent momentum has declined sharply (−61% versus the prior period), suggesting a strategic repositioning or consolidation phase rather than continued expansion.
families: 94| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| University of Science & Technology Beijing | 55 | ▲ 3.2× vs prior 3-yr |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | 33 | ▲ +38% |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | 45 | ▲ 4.5× vs prior 3-yr |
| Proterial Ltd | 12 | ▼ -61% |
| Central South University | 37 | ▲ +76% |
| Kunming University of Science & Technology | 31 | ▲ +48% |
| Northwestern Polytechnical University | 31 | ▲ +29% |
| Dalian University of Technology | 37 | ▲ +76% |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring
Several IPC branches sit at notably lower filing density relative to the dominant alloy-composition core, representing areas where the prior-art environment is less crowded and where HEA properties offer plausible technical value.
B33Y · Additive manufacturing (3D printing)
With 537 patent records, additive manufacturing represents approximately 5% of the branch mix — large enough to confirm real activity, but sparse relative to the 3,847-record alloy-composition core. HEAs present specific challenges for AM (solidification cracking, elemental segregation, oxidation) that are not fully addressed by adapting conventional alloy AM parameters. Researchers and equipment makers with HEA-specific powder design or process control know-how have a realistic entry path before this branch densifies.
Search this in Eureka →B82Y · Nanotechnology applications
At 180 patent records and roughly 2% of the branch mix, nanotechnology applications of HEAs — including nanostructured coatings, nano-precipitate-strengthened alloys, and HEA nanoparticle catalysts — remain lightly covered. The intersection with catalysis (B01J, 54 records) and electrolytic production (C25B, 111 records) suggests functional nano-HEA materials for energy conversion and storage are an adjacent technical space with low prior-art density and growing scientific interest.
Search this in Eureka →How leading institutions differ across technology routes
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | C22C 30 · Alloys | C22C 1 · Alloys | B22F 9 · Powder metallurgy | B22F 1 · Powder metallurgy | C22F 1 · Non-ferrous metal treatment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Science & Technology Beijing | Strong · 105 | Strong · 86 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 23 |
| Harbin Institute of Technology | Strong · 86 | Strong · 60 | Moderate · 19 | Emerging · 17 | Emerging · 16 |
| Beijing Institute of Technology | Strong · 91 | Strong · 70 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 35 |
| Proterial Ltd | Strong · 77 | Absent | Moderate · 30 | Strong · 53 | Moderate · 31 |
| Central South University | Strong · 73 | Strong · 52 | Moderate · 28 | Moderate · 22 | Moderate · 16 |
| Kunming University of Science & Technology | Strong · 72 | Strong · 39 | Moderate · 23 | Moderate · 18 | Absent |
| Dalian University of Technology | Strong · 67 | Strong · 60 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 22 |
Frequently asked questions
The current scope covers 3,921 patent families globally, with filing activity recorded from 2017 through 2026. China is the dominant filing jurisdiction by a substantial margin.
University of Science & Technology Beijing leads with 114 patent families, followed by Proterial Ltd (94 families) and Harbin Institute of Technology (91 families). The top-ranked filer accounts for roughly 3% of the total 3,921 families in scope.
The lifecycle assessment places the field in the Growth stage. Annual filings rose from 178 in 2017 to a recorded 680 in 2024, representing 80% growth over the recent window. The 2025–2026 figures are understated due to publication lag and do not represent a real slowdown.
C22C (Alloys) is dominant, reflecting continued focus on compositional design. B22F (Powder metallurgy) and C23C (Coating & surface deposition) are the next largest branches. B33Y (Additive manufacturing) and H01M (Batteries & fuel cells) are notable emerging application areas.
Universities and public research institutes dominate the rankings. Proterial Ltd, ranked second with 94 patent families, is the highest-ranked industrial filer. The academic dominance of the landscape means many inventions are disclosed without strong commercial IP protection, which can benefit industrial players building application-specific portfolios.
China accounts for the large majority of patent records. The United States is the next most active jurisdiction, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). South Korea, India, and Japan are present at lower volumes. The relative sparsity of US and European filings by leading Chinese institutions may leave freedom-to-operate in those markets.
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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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