Mechanical Characterization of AISI 316L Samples Printed Using Material Extrusion

Abstract

The main additive manufacturing (AM) methods to produce metal components are laser powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition, which are energy-intensive, time-consuming, and require high investment costs. An economical alternative is based on a new feedstock comprising a homogenous mixture of sinterable metal powders and a multi-component binder system. This feedstock enables the creation of metal components printed using the material extrusion (ME) technique. In this study, mechanical characterization of AISI 316L samples is conducted to identify the mechanical properties of parts printed using the metal ME process. The test results indicate an average maximum tensile stress of 426.6 ± 23.7 MPa and an elongation at break of 36%. Both the tensile and compressive yield stresses are approximately 150 MPa, demonstrating a symmetric response to the two opposite types of uniaxial loads. Rockwell B and Vickers hardness tests confirm the uniform behavior of the tested material. An X-ray diffraction analysis is conducted to assess the crystallographic structure of the ME 316L samples compared to that of the monolithic material. According to our study results, metal ME seems to be a promising technology to produce non-critical metallic parts that require good mechanical properties, good corrosion resistance, and complex shapes such as chemical tanks, heat exchangers, and medical instruments.