Structure of powdered creep-resistant P92 steel produced by the argon atomization technique

This study investigates the structure of powdered creep-resistant P92 steel produced by the argon atomization technique for the subsequent 3D printing. It was found that the atomized particles typically exhibited a complex internal structure consisting of δ-ferrite and martensite. The significant fraction of the metastable δ-ferrite phase suggested a relatively high cooling rate during the atomization process. Importantly, the δ-ferrite exhibited a polygonal grain morphology rather than a columnar dendritic structure. This observation also suggested a comparatively uniform character of the solidification process within the inert gas environment. Of particular interest was also the residual gas porosity revealed within the atomized particles.