Local valence analysis of 316L austenitic stainless steel produced by laser powder bed fusion

[Display omitted] •Local valence analysis was performed by electron energy-loss spectroscopy.•Solidification cellular microstructures were visualized due to solute segregation.•No obvious changes were observed in the energy-loss near-edge structures of Cr and Fe.•Segregation is unlikely to affect the corrosion resistance of LPBF 316L. Ultra-rapid cooling of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) generates a cellular solidification microstructure with submicron-sized periodicity accompanied by non-negligible segregation. In 316L austenitic stainless steel, an important corrosion-resistant alloy, the effect of segregation, particularly variations in Cr concentration, on the corrosion resistance of the LPBF product is unknown. Local valence analysis of the LPBF-produced 316L by electron energy-loss spectroscopy revealed no obvious changes in the energy-loss near-edge structures of Cr and Fe measured within the solidification cellular microstructure, at the cell boundary, or at the melt-pool boundary. This result indicates that solidification segregation in the LPBF-produced 316L is unlikely to affect the corrosion resistance of the material.