Enhanced mechanical and tribological performance of additively manufactured 316L steel by MoS2-reinforcement

• Fabrication of 316L metal matrix composites by laser powder bed fusion. • Reinforcement with MoS 2 particles enhances 316L steel wear resistance. • Smaller MoS 2 particles increased surface roughness, larger ones enhanced hardness. • Dependence of friction and wear behavior on MoS 2 particle size and concentration. • 12.5 µm MoS 2 at 1 wt-% reduced MMC wear by 97.1 % and counter body wear by 91 %. 316L stainless steel is commonly used in industrial and biomedical applications due to its corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, though its wear resistance is limited. This study aims to enhance the wear performance of 316L using additive manufacturing (AM) via laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), reinforcing it with MoS 2 particles. Metal matrix composites (MMCs) were fabricated with MoS 2 particles of different combinations in size (1.5, 4.5, 12.5 µm) and concentration (1, 3, 5 wt-%). Increasing MoS 2 content reduced the density across all particle sizes due to MoS 2 ′s lower intrinsic density, with smaller particles increasing surface roughness and larger particles reducing roughness variation while enhancing hardness. Notable variations in the coefficient of friction and wear coefficients were observed across different composites and temperatures in a steel ball-on-three-MMC plate setup under dry conditions. At 25 °C, 4.5 µm MoS 2 at 5 wt-% reduced MMC plates’ wear by 96.3 % and counter body (steel ball) wear by 85.5 %. At 37 °C, 12.5 µm MoS 2 at 1 wt-% reduced plate wear by 97.1 % and ball wear by 91 %. These improvements were attributed to enhanced solid lubrication and load distribution, particularly with optimal MoS 2 size and concentration. This research highlights the potential of LPBF-AM in producing high-performance 316L MMCs for applications requiring improved wear resistance.