Investigations on tribological behavior under lubricated condition of post heat treated additively manufactured SS316L parts

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the friction and wear mechanisms in lubricated sliding conditions of additively manufactured SS316L parts. The different viscous oils 5W30, 15W40, 20W50 and SAE140 are used. These investigations provide a theoretical basis for the high performance of printed and postheattreated SS316L.Design/methodology/approachTribological tests were carried out on selective laser melting-made SS316L printed specimens and heat-treated specimens. The parameters in 15 min of test duration are 20 N of load, 200 rpm, 8 mm of pin diameter, 25 mm length, 80 mm of track diameter and EN31 counter disc body. This work presented the phenomena of lubrication regimes and their characterization, as identified by the Stribeck curve, and these regimes affect the tribological properties of additively manufactured SS316L under the influence of industrial viscous lubricants. The results are observed using Scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and wear tests.FindingsThe observations indicate that additively manufactured SS316L shows a reduced coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR). This is credited to the utilization of different viscous lubricants.Originality/valueThis exclusive research demonstrates how various viscous lubricants affect the COF and SWR of printed and post-heat-treated SS316L parts. Lambda (lambda), lubricant film thickness (h0), surface roughness and wear mechanisms are studied and reported.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-04-2024-0110/