An analysis of phase stresses in additively manufactured 304L stainless steel using neutron diffraction measurements and crystal plasticity finite element simulations

Combined in-situ neutron diffraction measurements during post-processing heat treatment and thermo-mechanical crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) simulations were utilized to study the residual phase stress development in the two-phase microstructure of an additively manufactured (AM) 304L stainless steel. The steel, fabricated via the laser engineering net shaping technique, has a microstructure comprising primarily of the austenite phase, with ∼ 2.5% ferrite phase by volume fraction. The post-build material was heated to greater than 1300 K and neutron diffraction data was recorded during heating and cooling. Specifically, the evolution of lattice strains in the individual phases were measured with temperature and the corresponding coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) calculated. The dislocation densities, phase fractions and textures, before and after heat treatment, were also measured. CPFE simulations were performed to study the interplay of the stress-free thermal strains and the mechanical strains in inducing inter-granular residual stresses in individual phases. The simulations confirmed the presence of process induced inter-granular residual stress primarily in the ferrite phase of the as-built AM material. Comparison of the relevant simulation data with experiments indicate that model predictions of the lattice strains and CTEs in both phases, as well as the inter-granular residual phase stress and pressure in the ferrite phase are in qualitative agreement with the experimental measurements and calculations.