Anisotropy of thermal expansion and diffusivity of additively manufactured 17-4 PH steel under different heat treatment conditions
Authors: Leena Alam, Rainer Hebert
17-4 PH Stainless Steel is a martensitic, precipitation-hardening steel with a good combination of strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Precipitates are formed in this steel after solutionizing and ageing at different temperatures (ranging from 900F to 1150F) and times. 17-4 PH Stainless Steel has become of interest to the field of additive manufacturing due to its applications within aerospace and medical industries. Additive manufacturing, however, inherently causes anisotropy in an as-built part, which has been observed in 17-4 PHG stainless steel from a mechanical perspective. Little research has been done to examine thermal anisotropy. This study probes the thermal expansion and thermal diffusivity of additively manufactured 17-4 PH stainless steel for the as-built condition and the H900 and H1100 ageing conditions. The outcome of this study is important for the decision on orienting 17-4 PH parts during printing and on their behavior during service for different heat treatment conditions.
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