Enhancement of Tensile Strength of 316L Stainless Steel by Laser Composite Deposition of GNPs and TA2
摘要
This study proposes an in-situ reaction method based on graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and titanium powder (TA2), which generates TiC particles in-situ to reinforce the mechanical properties of 316L alloy. This approach offers a novel strategy for expanding the application of 316L alloy in high-strength environments, such as engineering structures, marine pipelines transportation, and petrochemical industries. Using the LDED technique, C and Ti elements are introduced through high-energy powder melting, promoting the in-situ generation of TiC ceramic phase during deposition. These TiC particles form numerous active heterogeneous nucleation sites in the matrix, significantly enabling the generation of fine grains in the undercooled liquid phase. Through competitive grain growth, they achieve grain refinement in the GT/316L deposited specimens, exhibiting excellent optimization in microstructure and material performance. Experimental results indicate that compared to conventional 316L, the microhardness of GT/316L specimens increased significantly from 209.6 HV0.2 to 328.7 HV0.2, representing an impressive 56.8% improvement. The UTS was enhanced from 660 MPa to 810 MPa, while the YS rose from 512 MPa to 600 MPa. Furthermore, the tensile properties perpendicular to the laser scanning direction consistently outperformed those parallel to it. The mechanical properties of the GT/316L specimen improved markedly owing to the combined action of various mechanisms. These mechanisms include dislocation strengthening, load transfer, grain refinement and the Orowan effect.