Impact of the additive manufacturing process on the high-temperature corrosion of 316L steel in the presence of NaCl–KCl–ZnCl2 molten solar salt

A comparative study of the high-temperature oxidation and corrosion resistance of wrought and additive manufacturing selective laser melting (SLM) 316L stainless steel was performed in presence of molten NaCl–KCl–ZnCl2 salt used for thermal energy storage in the new generation of concentrated solar plants. Isothermal tests at 650 and 700 °C in a dry air atmosphere were conducted to evaluate (i) the effect of the manufacturing process and (ii) the effect of molten salts on the corrosion behavior of the steel by dimensional metrology analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction characterization. The manufacturing process had a significant influence on the oxidation resistance. The wrought samples had a mass gain after 48 h that was four times greater than that of SLM samples at 650 °C, and 50% greater at 700 °C. The presence of the salt primarily increased the corrosion rate of all the samples and, again, the wrought pieces suffered 13% and 6% more corrosion in terms of metal loss than the SLM ones at 650 and 700 °C, respectively. The presence of more pathways for Cr diffusion associated with a higher number of defects in the microstructure of the SLM sample, as dislocations and grain boundaries, facilitated the formation of Cr2O3 scales in the SLM sample, avoiding the intergranular attack shown in the wrought one.