Correlating the Microstructure and Surface Morphology of Additively Manufactured 304L Series Stainless Steel to Its Corrosion Response

• Published in: Meeting abstracts (Electrochemical Society) Vol. MA2018-02; no. 10; p. 572
• Main Authors: Melia, Michael Anthony, Schaller, Rebecca Filardo, Nguyen, Hai-Duy, Taylor, Jason Mark, Rodelas, Jeffrey, Schindelholz, Eric John
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 23.07.2018
• ISSN: 2151-2043; 2151-2035
• DOI: 10.1149/MA2018-02/10/572

In recent years a desire to rapidly prototype complex metallic parts has driven the advancement of metal additive manufacturing (AM). Powder bed selective laser melting (SLM) and laser engineered net shape (LENS) have emerged as prevalent techniques for producing a wide range of complex metal components. That said, the non-equilibrium processes associated with SLM and LENS techniques lead to microstructural heterogeneity and irregular surface structures throughout components, which can be cause for corrosion behavior considerably different from conventionally processed materials. This presentation will investigate and compare the corrosion behavior of 304L stainless steel produced by the SLM and LENS processes. An emphasis will be on how the heterogeneous microstructures of the AM components influence breakdown of passivity and repassivation in aqueous solutions. The impact of surface treatments, such as laser surface modification, have on AM component roughness and subsequently the corrosion response will be explored.