'The University of Texas at Austin, Bureau of Economic Geology'
Abstract
At elevated temperatures changes in metallurgical structure can be expected for almost any
steel or alloy. In stainless steels, the changes can be grain growth, carbide precipitation, ferrite
decomposition, or embrittlement. These phenomena can significantly affect the properties of the
stainless steel and would potentially change the functionality of the component. Therefore, the
impact of elevated temperatures on the microstructure of SLM 304L stainless steel was studied.
The work reported here investigates the influence of different aging times at 300C on
microstructure and mechanical properties of stainless steels (304L) fabricated with the Selective
Laser Melting (SLM) process. Microstructure and mechanical properties were dramatically
effected at temperatures much lower than expected when compared to samples of wrought stainless
steel. The stainless steel fabricated using the SLM process was more kinetically active than
expected based on previous studies of 304L. Results of this study will be presented along with
possible reasons for the higher activity.Mechanical Engineerin
