Saturday, 20 September 2025

Post-Processing Heat Treatment of LPBF 316L Steel: Influence on Microstructure-Properties Evolution | Chapter 2| Chemical and Materials Sciences: Research Findings Vol. 5

 

This study evaluates the effects of post-processing annealing (900-1200 oC) and work hardening followed by recrystallisation annealing on the microstructure and properties of laser powder bed fused (LPBF) 316L stainless steel, aiming to optimise its mechanical and corrosion performance. As-built LPBF 316L exhibits a cellular microstructure with Cr/Mo segregations, providing high strength and hardness. Annealing at 900-1050 oC eliminates the cellular structure, reduces dislocation density, and forms recrystallised grains, decreasing yield tensile strength (YTS) and hardness by 1.3-1.4 times while peaking ductility (total elongation 68 %) and impact toughness (128 J/cm²) at 900 oC. However, higher temperatures (1200 oC) moderately increase strength but significantly reduce ductility, toughness, and corrosion resistance due to nano-sized (MnCrSiAl)O₃ inclusion precipitation and transition to Mo-rich oxides, coarsening particles, and degrading the passive film. Corrosion resistance is least affected at 1050 oC but remains inferior to the as-built state. Prestraining (0.12 plastic strain) increases YTS by 1.2-1.7 times (to 690-699 MPa) and ultimate tensile strength by ~1.2 times (762-770 MPa) but reduces ductility by 1.5 times. Subsequent annealing at 900-1050 oC induces recovery and partial recrystallisation, restoring ductility and achieving a strength-ductility product of 40.3 GPa·%, though prior thermal stabilisation hinders recrystallisation. All specimens exhibit ductile fractures with fine/ultra-fine dimples. High-temperature annealing (900-1200 oC) fails to comprehensively enhance properties (including corrosion resistance), suggesting that as-built or prestrained-and-annealed LPBF 316L offers a better balance of strength, ductility, and impact toughness for engineering applications.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Efremenko B.V
Pryazovskyi State Technical University, 49044 Dinpro, Ukraine.

 

Chabak Yu.G.
Pryazovskyi State Technical University, 49044 Dinpro, Ukraine and Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 04001 Kosice, Slovak Republic.

 

Petryshynets I.
Pryazovskyi State Technical University, 49044 Dinpro, Ukraine and Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 04001 Kosice, Slovak Republic.

 

Efremenko V.G.
Pryazovskyi State Technical University, 49044 Dinpro, Ukraine and Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 04001 Kosice, Slovak Republic.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/cmsrf/v5/6099

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