High-entropy alloys can either be defined as solid solution alloys containing at least five elements in equiatomic or near-equiatomic composition, or as alloys with high configurational entropies (larger than 1.5R), regardless of the number of elements involved. The present study reports on an alloy design route for refractory high-entropy alloys based on equiatomic Mo-Nb-V alloys with additions of W and Ti. In general, the work was motivated by Senkov et al. The aim of the experiments carried out was to produce a refractory high-entropy alloy with a single-phase structure. For this purpose, a systematic alloy design involving four- and five-element compositions was used. Scanning electron microscopy analysis has shown that Mo-Nb-V-xW-yTi (x = 0, 20; y = 5, 10, 15, 20, 25) is in fact a refractory high-entropy alloy with a body-centered cubic dendritic structure. Furthermore, the Ti-concentration of the experimental alloys was varied, to obtain the influence of Titanium on the microstructure development. Additionally, compressive tests at room temperature were carried out to evaluate the influence of the different alloying elements and the Ti-fraction on the mechanical properties. The observations of the present work are then compared to the published results on similar alloys from the working group of Yao et al. and critically discussed.

In the present manuscript, we report on the properties of an equiatomic Ta-Nb-Ti alloy as the basis for a novel, biomedical, multi-component alloy development. The alloy was produced using an arc melting furnace under Ar atmosphere, metallographically prepared, and investigated respectively. Furthermore, the alloy produced, as well as samples of elemental Ta, Nb, alloy Co-28Cr-6Mo, and alloy Ti-6Al-4V, were prepared with defined 1200 grit SiC grinding paper. The topography of the surfaces was evaluated using confocal microscopy and contact angle measurements subsequently. Afterwards, the biocompatibility of the novel alloy Ta-Nb-Ti was evaluated by means of cell (osteoblast) attachment as well as monocyte inflammatory response analysis. First results indicate competitive osteoblast attachment, as well as comparable expressions of fibrosis markers in comparison to conventionally used biomedical materials. In addition, the Ta-Nb-Ti alloy showed a markedly reduced inflammatory capacity, indicating a high potential for use as a prospective biomedical material.

Mo matrix composites (MMC) with Mo-9Si-8B inclusions were fabricated by pressure-less sintering (PLS) and spark plasma sintering (SPS) techniques at temperatures between 1200–1500 °C using 1 wt.% Ni sinter additive. The positive impact of the addition Ni addition on the sinterability and formation of a continuous Mo matrix of MMC with randomly distributed Mo₃Si and Mo₅SiB₂ inclusions was determined. The Ni addition increased the shrinkage of MMC during PLS by almost a third. The continuous Mo matrix of MMC and a relative density of more than 98% was obtained after SPS at 1400–1500 °C. The composite with the maximum relative density of 98% showed a Vickers hardness of 482 ± 9 (HV20). The potential of using Ni-activated PLS and SPS to produce high-density MMC is shown.

Alloys in the V-Si-B system are a new and promising class of light-weight refractory metal materials for high temperature applications. Presently, the main attention is focused on three-phase alloy compositions that consist of a vanadium solid solution phase and the two intermetallic phases V₃Si and V₅SiB₂. Similar to other refractory metal alloys, a major drawback is the poor oxidation resistance. In this study, initial pack-cementation experiments were performed on commercially available pure vanadium and a three-phase alloy V-9Si-5B to achieve an oxidation protection for this new type of high temperature material. This advance in oxidation resistance now enables the attractive mechanical properties of V-Si-B alloys to be used for high temperature structural applications.

Ceramics are widely used as implant materials; however, they are brittle and may emit particles when used in these applications. To overcome this disadvantage, alumina foams, which represent a 3D cellular structure comparable to that of human trabecular bone structures, were sputter coated with platinum, tantalum or titanium and modified with fibronectin or collagen type I, components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). To proof the cell material interaction, the unmodified and modified materials were cultured with (a) mesenchymal stem cells being a perfect indicator for biocompatibility and releasing important cytokines of the stem cell niche and (b) with fibroblasts characterized as mediators of inflammation and therefore an important cellular component of the foreign body reaction and inflammation after implantation. To optimize and compare the influence of metal surfaces on cellular behavior, planar glass substrates have been used. Identified biocompatible metal surface of platinum, titanium and tantalum were sputtered on ceramic foams modified with the above-mentioned ECM components to investigate cellular behavior in a 3D environment. The cellular alumina support was characterized with respect to its cellular/porous structure and niche accessibility and coating thickness of the refractory metals; the average cell size was 2.3 mm, the average size of the cell windows was 1.8 mm, and the total foam porosity was 91.4%. The Pt, Ti and Ta coatings were completely dense covering the entire alumina foam surface. The metals titanium and tantalum were colonized very well by the stem cells without a coating of ECM components, whereas the fibroblasts preferred components of the ECM on the alumina foam surface.