High Ductility and Transformation-Induced-Plasticity in Metastable Stainless Steel Processed by Selective Laser Melting with Low Power

TL;DR

This study demonstrates that low-power selective laser melting produces metastable stainless steel with high ductility and transformation-induced plasticity, driven by strain-induced martensitic transformation during tensile loading.

Contribution

It reveals that low-power SLM processing can create metastable austenitic steel exhibiting high ductility and transformation-induced plasticity, with detailed analysis of deformation textures and martensitic transformation.

Findings

High ductility observed despite porosity

Pronounced strain-induced martensitic transformation

Secondary hardening due to martensite formation

Abstract

A metastable austenitic Fe-Cr-Ni steel was processed by selective laser melting with low power, resulting in nearly random crystallographic texture. In-situ tensile loading and neutron diffraction experiments were undertaken and the results indicate high ductility, despite the presence of porosity, and pronounced strain-induced martensitic transformation. A secondary hardening is observed in the mechanical data due to the martensite carrying significant load, upon its formation. The pronounced martensitic transformation is discussed with respect to the initial and the evolving deformation texture and its affinity for forming martensite under uniaxial tensile loading.