Study of the Mechanical Behavior and Solidification of Modified 316L Steels Manufactured through Additive Manufacturing

• Grant number: 23/14592-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: February 01, 2024
• End date: October 26, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Physical Metallurgy
• Principal Investigator: Piter Gargarella
• Grantee: Luiz Henrique Quinquiolo Ribeiro de Lima
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/27031-4 - Effect of process parameters on the metallurgical characteristics of additive-manufactured alloys, AP.JP
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/19365-3 - Study of the mechanical behavior and solidification of modified 316L steels manufactured through additive manufacturing, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Recently, the research group at DEMa/UFSCar studied the modification of stainless steel 316L with the aim of improving its wear resistance while maintaining its excellent processability through additive manufacturing. Two new alloys were developed, demonstrating outstanding corrosion and wear resistance. Preliminary results revealed that these alloys exhibit a deformation-induced phase transformation during tensile testing, a phenomenon not previously observed in 316L steel. Additionally, this material displayed a highly refined equiaxial microstructure, in contrast to the commonly observed cellular microstructure in 316L steel. This master's thesis aims to continue this research by investigating the mechanical properties and solidification of these modified 316L steels processed using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) additive manufacturing method. The objective is to understand the deformation and solidification mechanisms of these alloys. Test specimens for tensile testing will be fabricated through LPBF and characterized using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). In situ XRD experiments using laser radiation will also be conducted to gain insight into the deformation-induced transformation of these materials.