Novel entropy-stabilized spinel materials and their potential application in high-temperature industry: [(MgxZn(1−x)/2Cu(1−x)/2) (Al0.9Fe0.1)2O4] (x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.8)

High-temperature industries, as the primary consumers of energy, are greatly concerned with energy savings. Designing refractory linings with low thermal conductivity to reduce heat dissipation through high-temperature furnace linings is a critical concern. In this study, a series of novel entropy-stabilized spinel materials are reported, and their potential applications in high-temperature industries are investigated. XRD and TEM results indicate that all materials possess a cubic spinel crystal structure with the \(Fd\overline{3} m\) space group. Furthermore, these materials exhibit good phase stability at high temperatures. All entropy-stabilized spinel aggregates demonstrated high refractoriness (> 1800 °C) and a high load softening temperature (> 1700 °C). The impact of configurational entropy on the properties of entropy-stabilized spinel materials was also studied. As configurational entropy increased, the thermal conductivity of the entropy-stabilized spinel decreased, while slag corrosion resistance deteriorated. For the entropy-stabilized spinel with a configurational entropy value of 1.126 R , it showed good high-temperature stability, reliable resistance to slag attack, and a low thermal conductivity of 2.776 W·m −1 ·K −1 at 1000 °C. Graphical abstract