Formation mechanism of MnS inclusion during heat treatments and its influence on the pitting behavior of 316L stainless steel fabricated by laser powder bed fusion

The formation mechanism of MnS inclusions during heat treatment and its effect on the pitting behavior of laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF)-fabricated 316L stainless steel (SS) were investigated. MnS inclusions precipitated at the grain boundaries of the samples, and the spherical oxide particles can become nucleation sites. The quantity and size of the MnS inclusions increased with prolonged heating. Compared with the as-received sample, the pitting of heat-treated L-PBF-fabricated 316L SS samples was mainly induced by the newly generated MnS inclusions rather than the fabricated gas pores and extended along the grain boundaries; this caused the dramatic pitting resistance deterioration.