316L stainless steel mechanical and tribological behavior-A comparison between selective laser melting, hot pressing and conventional casting

This work presents a comprehensive study on the influence of three different processing technologies (Selective Laser Melting, Hot Pressing and conventional casting) on the microstructure, mechanical and wear behavior of an austenitic 316L Stainless Steel. A correlation between the processing technologies, the obtained microstructure and the mechanical and wear behavior was achieved. The results showed that the highest mechanical properties and tribological performance were obtained for 316L SS specimens produced by Selective Laser Melting, when compared to Hot Pressing and conventional casting. The high wear and mechanical performance of 316L Stainless Steel fabricated by Selective Laser Melting are mainly due to the finer microstructure, induced by the process. In this sense, Selective Laser Melting seems a promising method to fabricate customized 316L SS implants with improved mechanical and wear performance.