Effect of Processing Atmosphere and Secondary Operations on the Mechanical Properties of Additive Manufactured AISI 316L Stainless Steel by Plasma Metal Deposition

Plasma metal deposition (PMD) is an interesting additive technique whereby diverse materials can be employed to produce end parts with complex geometries. This study investigates not only the effects of the manufacturing conditions on the final properties of 316L stainless steel specimens by PMD, but it also affords an opportunity to study how secondary treatments could modify these properties. The tested processing condition was the atmosphere, either air or argon, with the other parameters having previously been optimized. Furthermore, two standard thermal treatments were conducted with the intention of broadening knowledge regarding how these secondary operations could cause changes in the microstructure and properties of 316L parts. To better appreciate and understand the variation of conditions affecting the behavior properties, a thorough characterization of the specimens was carried out. The results indicate that the presence of vermicular ferrite (delta) varied slightly as a consequence of the processing conditions, since it was less prone to appear in specimens manufactured in argon than in air. In this respect, their mechanical properties suffered variations; the higher the ferrite (delta) content, the higher the mechanical properties measured. The degree of influence of the thermal treatment was similar regardless of the processing conditions, which affected the properties based on the heating temperature.