Effect of Post-Manufacturing Heat Treatment on Wear Performance of Laser Powder Bed Fusion 316L Stainless Steel Under Various Normal Loads

The friction and wear behavior of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) 316L stainless steels (SSs) with different post-manufacturing heat treatments (PMHTs) under various normal loads were investigated and compared with conventional wrought 316L SS. The dominant wear mechanism was adhesive wear for L-PBF 316L SS with as-built and stress relief PMHT conditions, but abrasive wear for wrought 316L SS. L-PBF 316L SS with solution annealing PMHT exhibited both adhesive and abrasive wear mechanisms. As built L-PBF 316L SS presented superior or close wear resistance to wrought 316L SS under low and medium normal loads, but the opposite under a high normal load. PMHTs gradually lowered compressive stress levels and decreased dislocation density in L-PBF 316L SS, inducing the degraded wear resistance of L-PBF 316L SS, which was more significant at a high normal load. The differentiated wear performance, i.e., better or worse wear resistances, among wrought and L-PBF 316L SSs not only depends on the applied normal loads during the wear test but is also controlled by the intrinsic microstructural features of materials and exhibited wear mechanisms.

Graphical Abstract