Structure and mechanical properties of PR-03N18K9M5TYu steel grade fabricated by selective laser melting and post-processing

We fabricate samples of PR-03N18K9M5TYu steel (equivalent to ChS4) using selective laser melting (SLM) in a nitrogen atmosphere. Our research focused on the influence of hot isostatic pressing (HIP) combined with heat treatment (HT), specifically hardening and aging, on the steel's structure and its physical and mechanical properties (σ_ucs, σ_ys, δ, ψ). Through tensile testing, we evaluated the impact of post-processing treatments (HIP followed by HT) on the material's strength. We also assessed how different post-processing protocols affected residual porosity. Our findings indicate that samples exhibiting the highest strength and plastic properties correspond to those with the least structural defects and minimal residual porosity. In-depth microstructural analysis revealed that the optimal structure–a fine-grained, homogeneous configuration–is achieved via the combined application of SLM, HIP, and subsequent HT. The improvement in mechanical properties can be primarily attributed to the dispersed hardening effect, which is a consequence of the precipitation of the superfluous Ni₃Ti phase. Fractographic examination revealed that the post-processing leads to a ductile and dimple fracture, occurring through mechanisms of shearing and detachment, giving rise to mixed-type fractures. The samples that displayed superior mechanical properties were characterized by a homogenous ductile intergranular fracture surface with clear evidence of plastic deformation. We measured the hardness (Н), modulus of elasticity (Е), and elastic recovery via indentation methods. The post-processing treatments notably enhanced material hardness and elastic modulus, with an increase from H = 4.6 GPa and E = 194 GPa in the sample post-HIP to H = 8.5 GPa and E = 256 GPa following HIP coupled with hardening and aging.

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