3D Gel-Printing of TiC-Reinforced 316L Stainless Steel: Influence of the Printing Parameters

In this paper, the composite composed of TiC (35 wt.%) reinforced 316L stainless steel matrix was successfully prepared using a 3D gel-printing (3DGP) process. The “step effect” of 3D printing can be reduced using reasonable parameter settings. The properties of TiC/316L slurry for 3DGP and the influence of the different printing parameters on the surface quality of the samples, such as the extrusion overlaps and printing speed, were researched. The microstructure and fracture morphology of the sintered sample were revealed using scanning electron microscopy. The surface roughness, density, and mechanical properties were also measured. When the internal diameter of the nozzle was 0.50 mm, the result showed that the proper extrusion overlap parameter was 0.08 mm and the maximum printing speed was 20 mm/s. Furthermore, the minimum surface roughness value was 10 μm. After sintering, the mechanical performances were similar to those obtained using a conventional powder metallurgy process.