TY - CONF A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonardo T1 - Revealing the Nature of Melt Pool Boundaries in Additively Manufactured Stainless Steel by Nano-sized Modulation N2 - Additive manufacturing (AM) of metallic alloys has gained momentum in the past decade for industrial applications. The microstructures of AM metallic alloys are complex and hierarchical from the macroscopic to the nanometer scale. When using laser-based powder bed fusion (L-PBF) process, two main microstructural features emerge at the nanoscale: the melt pool boundaries (MPB) and the solidification cellular substructure. Here, details of the MPB are revealed to clearly show the three-dimensional nature of MPBs with changes of cell growth of direction and their relation to their surrounding cellular substructure, as investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for L-PBF 316L austenitic stainless steel (cf. Figure 1). A hitherto unknown modulated substructure with a period of 21 nm is further discovered within cells as the result of a partial Ga+-focused ion beam-induced ferritic transformation of the austenite. Cell cores and cell boundaries differ notably regarding the modulated substructure. T2 - 3. Fachtagung Werkstoffe und Additive Fertigung 2022 CY - Dresden, Germany DA - 11.05.2022 KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Austenitic steel 316L KW - Melt pool boundary KW - Microstructural characterization KW - Transmission electron microscopy PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54836 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Agudo Jácome, Leonrado T1 - Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior of Laser Powder Bed Fused Inconel 718 at Room and High Temperature N2 - The nickel-base superalloy Inconel 718 (IN718) is one of the most commonly used Ni-based superalloys for high temperature structural applications for its remarkable strength, as well as creep, fatigue, and corrosion resistance up to 650 °C. While IN718 has traditionally been employed as cast or wrought material, it is difficult to machine because of its high strength and toughness. The additive manufacturing of IN718 components made by metal AM has thus gained extensive attention to produce expensive near-net shaped components of high-temperature alloys such as IN718, for it saves material and costs in processing and machining steps. Among all metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) is the most widespread, IN718 being one of the most common alloys produced with it. However, high cooling rates associated to the PBF-LB/M process, hinders the primary strengthening phases γ’’ and γ’ to form, as these cooling rates induce a dislocation cellular substructure, at which walls primary Laves phases bind segregating Nb, Ti and Mo. Many of the therefore needed heat-treatment strategies can then promote Laves-phase transformation into the stable δ phase along the cell and grain boundaries. Laves and δ phases, as well as grain-boundary primary carbides may have adverse effects on mechanical properties. The mostly needle-shaped δ phase was namely found to have a detrimental effect on creep rupture life while no direct effect on LCF fatigue life was evident. In this work room- and high-temperature (650 °C) low-cycle fatigue behavior of PBF-LB/M IN718 is investigated in the four-step heat-treated state and compared to wrought IN718. The microstructure of both materials is characterized across length scales via microscopy methods. The fatigue life at room temperature of the PBF-LB/M IN718 material is slightly lower than that for the wrought material, which is reversed at 650 °C. The cyclic stress response for both materials is marked by cyclic softening that is more pronounced at higher test temperatures. Multiple secondary cracks form at high strain amplitudes, at both room and high temperatures. High testing temperatures enhance specially crack formation at the transitions of regions between elongated grains and columns of stacked grains with ripple patterns in the PBF-LB/M material. Additional to this behavior, pronounced crack branching and deflection indicate that the cracks are controlled by sharp micromechanical gradients. T2 - EUROMAT 2025 CY - Granada, Spain DA - 14.09.2025 KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Low-cycle fatigue KW - Microstructural characterization KW - Ni-base superalloy PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64354 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Evans, Alexander T1 - Manufacturing a safer world: Diffraction based residual stress analysis for metal additive manufacturing N2 - Metal Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies such as Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) are characterized by layer wise construction, which enable advancements of component design, with associated potential gains in performance and efficiency. However, high magnitude residual stresses (RS) are often a product of the rapid thermal cycles typical of the layerwise process. Therefore, a deep understanding of the formation of RS, the influence of process parameters on their magnitude and the impact on mechanical performance is crucial for widespread application. The experimental characterisation of these RS is essential for safety related engineering application and supports the development of reliable numerical models. Diffraction-based methods for RS analysis using neutrons and high energy X-rays enable non-destructive spatially resolved characterisation of both surface and bulk residual stresses in complex components. This presentation will provide an overview of recent research by the BAM at large scale facilities for the characterization of residual stresses in LPBF metallic alloys as a function of process parameters. In addition, the challenges posed by the textured and hierarchical microstructures of LPBF materials on diffraction-based RS analysis in AM materials will be discussed. This will include the question of the d0 reference lattice spacing and the appropriate choice of the diffraction elastic constants (DECs) to calculate the level of RS in LPBF manufactured alloys. T2 - 11th INternational Conference on Residual Stress (ICRS11) CY - Online meeting DA - 28.03.2021 KW - Residual stress analysis KW - Neutron diffraction KW - X-ray diffraction KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Laser powder bed fusion KW - AGIL PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54676 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Evans, Alexander T1 - Ageing behaviour of laser powder bed fused 316L: a powder to failure approach N2 - Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) is an additive manufacturing process for materials which inherently tends to yield various degrees of metastable hierarchical microstructures, defects and high residual stresses in the as-built condition depending on the process parameters. The understanding of the evolution of these typical features during heat treatment and subsequent thermal and mechanical ageing is crucial for the wider acceptance for safety critical structures. A multi-disciplinary research project at BAM studying the development of the microstructure, defects, residual stresses typical of LPBF 316L and their evolution during thermal and mechanical ageing has led to insights into the stability of these inherent features. This presentation aims to give a broad overview of the project with a few specific cases of investigation. Firstly, the formation of residual stresses, the nature of the initial microstructure, the tensile properties and a modelling approach to understand the anisotropy will be presented. This will be followed by examples of studies of their evolution during heat treatment, long term thermal exposure, and room temperature and high temperature mechanical testing compared to a baseline of conventional wrought variant of the same alloy. T2 - International Conference on Additive Manufacturing 2021 (ICAM 2021) CY - Online meeting DA - 01.11.2021 KW - Ageing KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Laser powder bed fusion KW - AGIL PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-54106 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Suarez Ocano, Patricia T1 - Influence of heat-treatment-induced microstructural evolution on the Low Cycle Fatigue behavior of 316L stainless steel fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion N2 - Additive manufacturing, particularly the laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M) process, has gained significant attention in recent years due to its ability to produce complex geometries with enhanced mechanical properties. Among the various materials used, 316L stainless steel is highly favored for cyclically loaded components due to its exceptional mechanical strength, high-temperature performance, and corrosion resistance, making it widely applicable across various industries. 316L SS fabricated by PBF-LB/M (PBF-LB/M/316L) exhibits a unique hierarchical microstructure, with high density of low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs), nano-dispersed silicates, chemical micro-segregations, and solidification-induced cellular structures. Particularly, the submicron-sized cellular features enriched with chromium (Cr) and molybdenum (Mo), along with high dislocation densities, contribute to a superior strength-ductility balance compared to conventionally manufactured 316L SS. The dispersed silicate particles act also as a strengthening phase, impeding dislocation movement and enhancing plastic deformation resistance. This study explores the effect of heat treatments on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of PBF-LB/M/316L at room temperature (RT) and 600 °C. First, three heat treatment conditions were applied to the as-built material: 450 °C for 4 hours (HT450/4), 800 °C for 3 hours (HT800/3), and 900 °C for 1 hour (HT900/1) to investigate their influence on microstructural evolution. Microstructural analysis revealed that the HT450/4 condition preserved the cellular structure with high dislocation density, while the HT800/3 condition showed partial dissolution of cells together with reduction in segregated elements along the cell walls and a reduced dislocation density. The HT900/1 condition resulted in complete segregation and cellular structure dissolution with comparable dislocation density to HT800/3 while maintaining the crystallographic texture and grain morphology. Intermetallic χ phase was mostly observed at the grain boundaries in HT800/3, but not in HT900/1. Fully reversed LCF tests were conducted under strain-controlled conditions with a strain amplitude of 0.8 %. Tests were interrupted at specific intervals to analyze the interaction between hierarchical microstructural features and deformation mechanisms in the three heat-treated conditions. Due to the pronounced dislocation cell structures and elemental segregation, the microstructure of the HT450/4 condition significantly impact deformation and damage mechanisms during cyclic loading, which in turn, differ from the conventional produced counterparts. The results provide insights into the relationship between microstructural features and fatigue performance, highlighting key deformation and failure mechanisms under cyclic loading. T2 - FEMS 2025 EUROMAT 18th European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes CY - Granada, Spain DA - 14.09.2025 KW - Additive manufacturing KW - 316L stainless steel KW - Heat treatments KW - Low Cycle Fatigue KW - Microstructure PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64238 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Suarez Ocano, Patricia T1 - Exploring the impact of heat treatment on room and high temperature strength of 316L stainless steel fabricated by PBF-LB N2 - Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) enables the fabrication of 316L stainless steel components with superior strength and intricate geometries. The alloy PBF-LB/M/316L features a fully austenitic microstructure with hierarchical characteristics— such as fine dislocation structures, segregated elements, low-angle grain boundaries, and nano-dispersed silicates—that enhance strength and ductility. Additionally, it includes metallurgical defects and residual stresses. Apart from process control, heat treatments (HTs) are used to tailor the microstructure for specific loading conditions. This study investigate the effects of post-processing HTs on the hierarchical microstructure and tensile properties of PBF-LB/M/316L at room and high temperature. The heat treatments, ranging from 400 °C to 900 °C for 1 to 4 hours, focus on sub-recrystallization temperatures to preserve the microstructural hierarchy. The HTs applied had minimal impact on the grain shape, size, or texture of PBF-LB/M/316L. However, significant modifications occurred in the solidification cellular substructure after HTs at 800 °C and 900 °C, when compared to a heat-treated condition at 450 °C. HTs at 800 °C notably decreased dislocation density and enlarged cellular structures, though they remained partially intact. After 1 hour at 900 °C, the cellular substructure dissipated, correlating with a further reduction in dislocation density. These microstructural changes resulted in a decreased yield strength and increased work hardening capacity at both room and high temperature, highlighting the critical link between HT parameters, microstructural evolution, and mechanical performance. T2 - The 20th International Conference on Strength of Materials (ICSMA 20) CY - Kyoto, Japan DA - 02.06.2025 KW - Additive manufacturing KW - 316L stainless steel KW - Heat treatments KW - Tensile properties KW - Microstructure PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63914 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ávila Calderón, Luis T1 - Creep and fracture behavior of conventionally and additively manufactured stainless steel 316L N2 - A critical task within the frame of establishing process-structure-property-performance relationships in additive manufacturing (AM) of metals is producing reliable and well-documented material behavior’s data and knowledge regarding the structure-property correlation, including the role of defects. After all, it represents the basis for developing more targeted process optimizations and more reliable predictions of performance in the future. Within this context, this contribution aims to close the actual gap of limited historical data and knowledge concerning the creep behavior of the widely used austenitic stainless steel 316L, manufactured by Laser-Powder-Bed-Fusion (L-PBF). To address this objective, specimens from conventional hot-rolled and AM material were tested under application-relevant conditions according to existing standards for conventional material, and microstructurally characterized before and after failure. The test specimens were machined from single blocks from the AM material. The blocks were manufactured using a standard scan and build-up strategy and were subsequently heat-treated. The creep behavior is described and comparatively assessed based on the creep lifetime and selected creep curves and characteristic values. The effect of defects and microstructure on the material’s behavior is analyzed based on destructive and non-destructive evaluations on selected specimens. The AM material shows shorter creep lives, reaches the secondary creep stage much faster and at a lower strain, and features lower creep ductility compared to its conventional counterpart. The creep damage behavior of the AM material is more microstructure than defect controlled and is characterized by the formation and accumulation of single intergranular damage along the whole volume. Critical features identified are the grain morphology and the grain-boundary as well as the dislocation’s density. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) proves to be an alternative to metallography to analyze the creep damage. T2 - ASTM International Conference on Additive Manufacturing 2020 CY - Online meeting DA - 16.11.2020 KW - 316L KW - Creep behavior KW - Laser powder bed fusion KW - Additive manufacturing KW - Microstructure PY - 2020 AN - OPUS4-51823 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -