Investigating the Effects of Build Parameters on the Corrosion Properties of Additively Manufactured 316 Stainless Steel

ABSTRACT The increasing adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) for medical device production has resulted in additively manufactured medical devices being used in a range of applications and anatomical locations. Although medical device mechanical performance is often the primary concern, the influence of the AM process on the corrosion resistance of these products has become a growing question. Based on the increase in recent literature on this subject, it is also a growing question outside the medical field. This manuscript investigates the influence of powder-bed fusion technology type, laser versus electron-beam, build orientation, heat treatment, and surface finish on the corrosion resistance of 316 stainless steel through both potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Hot isostatic pressing heat treatment had a noticeable impact on the visual appearance and electrochemical response of the samples. This impact was removed after further processing. Additionally, technology type strongly affected the rest potential of the samples, while post-processing had the greatest influence of all parameters on the breakdown potential.