Additively Manufactured Nitrogen-Atomized 17-4 PH Stainless Steel with Mechanical Properties Comparable to Wrought

The microstructure of additively manufactured (AM) nitrogen-atomized 17-4 contains 12 +/- 4pct retained austenite after conventional solutionization annealing at 1323K (1050 degrees C) resulting in a yield strength of about half that of wrought, which contains approximate to 100pct BCC/martensite. An AM17-4 microstructure containing a volume fraction of approximate to 95pct martensite is achieved by solutionizing at 1273 K(1000 degrees C) instead of 1323K (1050 degrees C), where more nitrogen is trapped as M(C,N)-carbides, followed by further cooling to 233K (-40 degrees C). This alternative solutionization recovers the yield strength of the AM material to >90pct of its wrought counterpart, a critical first step toward the implementation of AM17-4 in real-world applications.