The search for high entropy alloys: A high-throughput ab-initio approach

While the ongoing search to discover new high-entropy systems is slowly expanding beyond metals, a rational and effective method for predicting "in silico" the solid solution forming ability of multicomponent systems remains yet to be developed. In this article, we propose a novel high-throughput approach, called "LTVC", for estimating the transition temperature of a solid solution: ab-initio energies are incorporated into a mean field statistical mechanical model where an order parameter follows the evolution of disorder. The LTVC method is corroborated by Monte Carlo simulations and the results from the current most reliable data for binary, ternary, quaternary and quinary systems (96.6%; 90.7%; 100% and 100%, of correct solid solution predictions, respectively). By scanning through the many thousands of systems available in the AFLOW consortium repository, it is possible to predict a plethora of previously unknown potential quaternary and quinary solid solutions for future experimental validation. (C) 2018 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.