Microstructural characterization and mechanical behaviour of laser powder Bed Fusion stainless steel 316L

Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) is a highly precise and customizable additive manufacturing (AM) technique that uses a high-energy laser to selectively melt and fuse powdered material into a three-dimensional object. However, depending on the process parameters, the final components may have potential flaws that can affect their quality and mechanical properties, due to porosity, melting and incomplete fusion of powder particles; and because the process involves local heating and sometimes uneven heat transfer, the processed components may warp or crack due to residual stresses or thermal gradients. The manufacturing process itself reflects in the final component structure having a detrimental effect on the strength, durability, fatigue resistance, and corrosion. In this work, static tensile and fatigue tests were performed on traditional and L-PBF manufactured AISI 316L stainless steel specimens. The energetic release has been evaluated with an infrared camera during the static and fatigue tests aiming to identify material thermal response to the loading and to predict the failure in rapid way adopting Thermographic Methods. Differences were observed comparing the fatigue data of the L-PBF processed specimens with the traditional material. However, analysis of internal structure, porosity, and surface characteristics of the AM material in combination with fractographic analysis helped to explain the differences in the fatigue life. The observed energy release, different for both material types, was discussed based on the structural characteristics. The results show that the crack originates from a defect on the surface or just below the surface, with a transgranular propagation.