Effect of copper powder addition on the product quality of sintered stainless steels

Powder metallurgy and selective laser melting (SLM) methods are widely used in producing metal parts. Adding reinforcements can improve the mechanical and physical properties of the parts. This study uses the powder metallurgy method before SLM to investigate the effect of copper reinforcement (0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 wt.%) on 316L and MS1 (maraging steel) material. The study started by thermochemical investigating the effects of copper addition on the phases during cooling. According to the thermochemical analysis, experimental sintering processes were carried out with the addition of copper in suitable mixing ratios. The findings show that 316L material is more convenient to the sinter than MS1 due to alloy ratios and powder sizes. Adding up to 2 wt.% copper to 316L results in a 36 wt.% reduction in linear shrinkage and improved mechanical and physical stability. The most satisfactory results were obtained by sintering the samples at 1200 °C for 1 h. This study shows that future research should focus on producing copper-reinforced 316L metal powders using SLM methods and parameter optimization and developing hybrid manufacturing methods that combine SLM with powder metallurgy.