Additive Manufacturing of Austenitic Stainless Steel 316LSi: Microstructural, Mechanical and Electrochemical Characterization
Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing, autenitic stainless steel, multipass
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a manufacturing process based on the creation of a component layer by layer, with the electric arc metal deposition technique being a promising and still little studied alternative for the manufacture of stainless steel components. Among the autenitic stainless steel alloys, the AISI 316L-Si alloy is among those with the greatest interest in the transport, health and oil and gas industrial sectors, due to its good mechanical characteristics, biocompatibility and high resistance to corrosion. This work aims to evaluate the influence of process parameters on metallic transfer, microstructure and mechanical and electrochemical properties in strands and metallic preforms of austenitic stainless steel 316L-Si obtained by Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). For this purpose, eleven weld beads were obtained with different parameters, as determined by design of experiment (DOE) of the type 23 + 3 central points, and seven preforms, according to DOE of type 22 + 3 central points. Among the parameters tested, the combination of a deposition speed of 300 mm.min-1 with a wire feed speed of 4 m.min-1 and a shielding gas flow of 16 L.min-1 provided better transfer reliability, with no defects, superior mechanical and electrochemical properties.