Heat treatments of 17-4 PH SS processed by SLM to improve its strength and biocompatibility in biomedical applications

This research investigates the impact of heat treatment on the microstructure, hardness, and corrosion resistance of 17-4 PH SS (stainless steel) processed by Selective Laser Manufacturing (SLM) in Phosphate Buffer Solution (PBS) and compared to its commercial wrought counterparts. The SLM process produced a segregated microstructure with significant variations in composition and phases. Post-process heat treatment resulted in a uniform and reproducible microstructure in the SLM samples with a significant improvement in corrosion resistance in the solubilised samples and a remarkable hardening in the solubilised and aged samples. Additionally, heat-treated SLM samples showed no relevant release of metallic elements to PBS electrolyte after 75 days of immersion, indicating its potential use as a biomaterial. The study concludes that the manufacturing process used to produce SS have a significant impact on its properties, moreover, post-build treatment improve microstructure providing uniformity which positively impact in the corrosion resistance. The electrochemical results also suggest that, after homogenization, the additively produced 17-4 PH SS shows a better behaviour in biological environment than the wrought 17-4 PH SS.