Effect of annealing on the mechanical and corrosion properties of 316L stainless steel manufactured by laser powder bed fusion

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing, 2022-12, Vol.860, p.144263, Article 144263
• Main Authors: Ura-Bińczyk, E., Dobkowska, A., Bazarnik, P., Ciftci, J., Krawczyńska, A., Chromiński, W., Wejrzanowski, T., Molak, R., Sitek, R., Płociński, T., Jaroszewicz, J., Mizera, J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 316L stainless Steel; Annealing; Austenitic stainless steels; Cellular communication; Chemical composition; Corrosion effects; Corrosion resistance; Grain boundaries; Grain size; Inclusions; Laser powder bed fusion; Localized corrosion; Mechanical properties; Powder beds; Steel making
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2022.144263

The effect of annealing on the mechanical and corrosion response of 316L stainless steel produced using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) was investigated. The as-printed materials were subjected to annealing at a temperature of 1000 °C for 2 h. Microstructural observations revealed that after annealing the cellular network inside the grains disappeared, and a slight increase in grain size and the proportion of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) occurred. The most significant microstructural changes occurred with the nano-inclusions, as the annealing resulted in change in their chemical composition, a decrease in their density (number per unit volume), while simultaneously their size increased. All these changes caused a decline in the mechanical properties of the steel and an increase in its susceptibility to localized corrosion.