Progress of high-entropy alloys prepared using selective laser melting

The multi-component characteristics of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) endow them with excellent performance that many traditional alloys cannot match. However, there are still some limitations in the preparation of HEAs using traditional methods. Selective laser melting (SLM) technology can achieve the precision formation of complex components through layer-by-layer deposition. It has been found that the performance advantages of HEAs can be fully utilized by combining SLM technology with HEAs. The microstructures and properties of SLM-prepared HEAs are reviewed in this study. It has been observed that due to the high-temperature gradients and high cooling rates of SLM processes, complex microstructures are usually formed in SLM-prepared HEAs, including cellular substructures, precipitates, stacking faults, and nanotwins. This study also determines that those unique microstructures bring excellent mechanical and functional properties to HEAs, indicating that the preparation of HEAs using SLM technology has major development potential. In addition, this study briefly introduces the microstructural defects and potential applications of SLM-prepared HEAs. The results obtained in this investigation provide useful guidance for the future designs of high-performance HEAs.