NIST researchers have developed a laser‑stirring method that mixes molten metal during laser powder bed fusion, enabling the creation of high‑entropy alloys that previously were difficult to produce. The technique directs the printing laser along looping paths instead of straight lines, actively whisking the metal powders together while they melt. To verify the process, the team printed a dense high‑entropy alloy (RHEA‑19) next to a lightweight titanium alloy and used the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory to observe atomic mixing in real time. X‑ray diffraction captured the evolution of the metal structure as it solidified, confirming uniform alloying. The approach could allow single‑powder streams to generate multiple alloys, reducing costs and expanding the versatility of metal 3D printing.
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