Dynamic recrystallization behavior of selective laser melted 316L stainless steel

The present work deals with the hot deformation behavior of selective laser melted 316L stainless steel with an emphasize on the involved recrystallization mechanisms. Toward this end, a series of hot compression test have been conducted in the temperature range of 700–1000 °C under the various strain rates of 0.001, 0.01 and 0.1s−1. The flow pattern analysis through Jonas-Poliak method verifies the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization in whole investigated temperature range. The intensified substructure development and continuous recrystallization is identified as the main softening mechanism in the course of thermomechanical processing. This causes appearance of a broad peak and low softening fraction in corresponding flow curves. The cellular substructure in the as-printed state facilitates low-angle into high-angle boundaries conversion, which provide a proper condition for the occurrence of continuous mechanisms and increases the rate of recrystallization. However, detailed investigation of the sub-boundary maps indicates the contribution of discontinuous and geometric dynamic recrystallization mechanisms. Dynamic recrystallization causes substantial refinement; and the percentage of the grain holding size lower than 10 μm increases from 2 % in printed microstructure to 16.8 % and 24 % in the microstructure deformed at 700 and 1000 °C.