Fracture and Wear Behavior of Functionally Graded 316L-TiC Composite Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting Additive Manufacturing

Herein, the tribological and fracture behavior of multilayer 316L-TiC composites produced by the selective laser melting additive manufacturing process is investigated. The results show a robust interface between the layers and no cracks are detected even after a flexural strain of 0.4. The hardness of the composite layers with 5 and 10 wt% TiC increases by 75.5 and 104.8% compared to the hardness of the pure 316L stainless steel layer. Transverse rupture strength measurements show that a layer of pure 316L significantly improves the rupture strength of the multilayer samples. Wear test results show that the inclusion of TiC particles increases wear resistance, with the composite layer containing 10 wt% TiC demonstrating the highest wear resistance.

The study confirms selective laser melting's efficacy in creating composites with strong interlayer bonding and improved properties. TiC addition notably boosts hardness and modulus of elasticity. Incorporating pure 316L enhances overall transverse rupture strength. TiC also enhances wear resistance, with 10% TiC composites showing the lowest volume loss and a 76% reduction in wear compared to pure 316L.image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH