Abstract
Standard heat treatments for metals of a particular composition are typically designed with the assumption of a conventional starting microstructure, such as that produced by casting or wrought processing. When applied to metals fabricated by Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) metal additive manufacturing (AM), these heat treatments can produce inconsistent performance due to the unique as-built microstructures. This study investigates how modifications to standard heat treatments for 17-4 PH steel influence the microstructure and mechanical properties of LPBF-fabricated material. Specimens were produced and subjected to varying solutionizing and homogenizing treatments followed by standard aging treatments. Microstructures were characterized using optical microscopy, Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), and mechanical properties were evaluated through uniaxial tensile testing. Based on these results, recommendations are provided for achieving improved wrought-like performance in LPBF 17-4 PH steel.
Recommended Citation
B. Brown et al., "Tensile Performance Sensitivity to Variations of Standard 17-4 PH Heat Treatments on LPBF-Produced Material," Metals, vol. 15, no. 10, article no. 1141, MDPI, Oct 2025.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.3390/met15101141
Department(s)
Materials Science and Engineering
Publication Status
Open Access
Keywords and Phrases
17-4 PH; additive manufacturing; heat treatment; laser powder bed fusion
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
2075-4701
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Final Version
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2025 The Authors, All rights reserved.
Creative Commons Licensing
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Publication Date
01 Oct 2025
