The significance of spatial length scales and solute segregation in strengthening rapid solidification microstructures of 316L stainless steel

Selective laser melting (SLM) can produce outstanding mechanical properties in 316L stainless steel. Nonetheless, the technique can lead to considerable variation in quality. This reflects an incomplete understanding and control of the process-structure-properties linkage. This paper demonstrates how length-scale informed micromechanical behavior can be linked to solidification microstructures and how these structures depend on SLM process …