Abstract
Additive manufacturing as a new processing technique can produce unique microstructure that is difficult to achieve using conventional techniques. In this study, we have investigated the creep behavior of 316L stainless steel produced by a laser powder bed fusion process at temperatures of 550, 600 and 650°C and stresses between 175 and 300 MPa. We found that additively-manufactured 316L stainless steel had a higher stress dependence of the minimum creep rate than conventionally-made Type 316 SS, which could be attributed to the dislocation cell structure resulting from the printing process. The dislocation cell structure was unstable under creep, evolving into a uniform dislocation structure under the test conditions. While internal porosity in AM 316L SS may serve as nucleation sites of creep voids and may be responsible for a relatively lower creep life, additively-manufactured 316 SS did not show inferior creep ductility when compared with conventionally-made 316 SS. The creep life of AM 316L SS could be improved by stabilizing dislocation cell structure and/or reducing internal porosity through an optimized additive manufacturing process.
