Selective laser melting of TiC reinforced stainless steel nanocomposites: Mechanical behaviour at elevated temperatures

•TiC can improve the strength properties of 316L steel at elevated temperatures.•Nano TiC can move up the work softening critical temperature for 316L steel.•Reinforcing phase affects the characteristics of fracture for 316L/TiC composite. The article presents the influence of the type of reinforcing phase (micro and nanocrystalline titanium carbide) and temperature of conducted tests, on the mechanical properties of a 316L stainless steel based metal matrix composites, made additively by the Selective Laser Melting technology. The samples were compared by testing their compression strength at temperatures in the range of 25–1100 °C. The tests have shown that the strengthening effect of the reinforcing phase occurs only in a limited range of temperatures. Moreover, the addition of the nanocrystalline TiC changes the mechanism of deformation and the microcomposite samples revealed the separation between matrix and TiC phase.