Dependence of microstructures on fatigue performance of polycrystals : A comparative study of conventional and additively manufactured 316L stainless steel

The fatigue properties and microstructural evolution of 316 L stainless steel (316LSS) manufactured by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) were systematically studied and compared with its wrought counterpart. The as-built L-PBF 316LSS shows a pronounced heterogeneity, not only structurally but also chemically, with a unique microstructure of highly serrated grain boundaries, bimodal grain structure, nano-precipitates, solidification cell structures, and chemical segregations. The microindentation test showed that the hardness of the as-built L-PBF 316LSS reached 2.589 GPa, which was about 1.6 times higher than that of the wrought solution annealed counterpart, and the sparser slip steps around indentations revealed its greater dislocation storage capability. The S-N curves indicated that the fatigue resistance of the as-built L-PBF 316LSS was significantly better than that of the wrought solution annealed samples, and this was ascribed to its unique microstructural characteristics, especially the pre-existing high-density dislocations and chemical microsegregation within cellular solidification features. Furthermore, the enhanced planar slip in L-PBF 316LSS by its unique microstructure, especially the formation of deformation twins, delays the strain localization and restrains slip band generation, thereby significantly inhibiting crack initiation, and contributing greatly to the fatigue performance. The unique cell structure appears to be more effective in improving the low-cycle fatigue performance of L-PBF 316LSS due to the enhanced ductility. Funding: Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova)Vinnova [2016-05175]; Center for Additive Manufacturing-metal (CAM2); Science Foundation Ireland (SFI)Science Foundation Ireland [16/RC/3872]; European Regional Development FundEuropean Commission; Ji Hua Laboratory [X210141TL210]