Heterogenous lamellar structure designed in additively manufactured 316L stainless steel through layer-wise engineering

Heterogeneous structures offer a promising route to achieve balanced strength and ductility in metallic materials. However, tailoring microstructures in specific regions remains challenging in metal additive manufacturing. This study demonstrates the potential of laser powder bed fusion for precise, location-specific design of microstructures through layer-wise engineering of fine-grained and coarse-grained lamellar architectures in SS316L with varying thicknesses. These lamellar structures exhibit superior strength and ductility compared to their homogeneous counterparts. This versatile approach is applicable to a wide range of printable alloys, paving the way for the production of heterostructure materials with enhanced mechanical properties in metal additive manufacturing.