316L Stainless Steel Microstructural, Mechanical, and Corrosion Behavior: A Comparison Between Spark Plasma Sintering, Laser Metal Deposition, and Cold Spray

Herein, Austenitic 316 low carbon stainless steel, a widely used grade for various applications, was studied to understand the effect of processing methods on the material properties. Steel samples were processed using spark plasma sintering (SPS), laser metal deposition (LMD), and cold spray (CS) techniques. Significant difference in hardness and yield strength was observed among the processed samples. The CS sample showed highest hardness (~ 378 Hv) and yield strength (~ 1390 MPa) compared to other samples. In addition to the desirable mechanical properties, corrosion resistance has a significant role in determining the service life of steel in corrosive environments. All the processed samples showed lower corrosion rate than the commercial steel. Results obtained from various characterization tools will be presented in-detail.