Microstructural Evolution of 316L Austenitic Stainless Steel with 2%TiB2 Addition during the HP-HT Sintering

In the present work, the 316L steel+2%TiB2 powders are sintered after milling by High Pressure-High Temperature (HP-HT) process. Studies cover the effect of sintering parameters on the development of microstructure and properties. The microstructural evolution of 316L steel-2TiB(2) composites is characterized by the techniques of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). It is found that the structure of a mixture of the 316L steel+2%TiB2 powders after milling and the structure of subsequent composites sintered by HP-HT is composed of a two-phase matrix including austenite (gamma) and martensite (alpha'). The phase analysis and calculations of the martensite (alpha') content have revealed the highest content of this constituent in the matrix of 316L steel+2% TiB2 composites obtained by sintering at a temperature of 900 degrees C.