3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

Overview Of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

SS316L stainless steel powder is a low-carbon 316 stainless steel powder with good corrosion resistance, weldability, and formability. Through 3D printing technology, stainless steel components with complex geometric shapes and excellent mechanical properties can be manufactured. This powder has been optimized and has good flowability and printability, making it suitable for various 3D printing technologies. SS316L stainless steel powder exhibits excellent performance in various corrosive environments and can resist pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking. Due to its low carbon content, SS316L stainless steel powder is less prone to intergranular corrosion during welding and has good welding performance. The powder particles are small and uniform, with good fluidity and spreading ability, suitable for 3D printing to manufacture high-precision and high-density components.

(3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder)

3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

 

Features of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

Stainless Steel Powders SS316L Properties
Other Names	Stainless Steel Powders, SS316 powder, SS316L powder
CAS No.	52013-36-2
Compound Formula	SS316L
Molecular Weight	N/A
Appearance	Grey black powder
Melting Point	N/A
Solubility in water	N/A
Density	7.9g/cm3
Purity	99.90%
Particle Size	0-20μm, 15-45μm, 15-53μm,53-105μm, 53-150μm, 105-250μm
Boling point	N/A
Specific Heat	N/A
Thermal Conductivity	N/A
Thermal Expansion	N/A
Young’s Modulus	N/A
Exact Mass	N/A
Monoisotopic Mass	N/A
Stainless Steel Powders SS316L Health & Safety Information
Safety Warning	N/A
Hazard Statements	N/A
Flashing point	N/A
Hazard Codes	N/A
Risk Codes	N/A
Safety Statements	N/A
RTECS Number	N/A
Transport Information	N/A
WGK Germany	N/A

Parameter table of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

Parameter	Details
Elemental Composition	Fe: 65 – 70%, Cr: 16 – 18%, Ni: 10 – 14%, Mo: 2 – 3%, Mn < 2%, C ≤ 0.03%, Si ≤ 0.75%, P ≤ 0.025%, S ≤ 0.01%, N ≤ 0.1%, Cu ≤ 0.5%
Particle Size Distribution	D10: 25 – 45 μm, D50: 30 – 75 μm, D90: 55 – 100 μm
Apparent Density	Typically 40 – 50% dense
Tap Density	Typically 60 – 65% dense
Flow Rate	30 – 35 s/50 g
Loss on Ignition (LOI)	< 0.5 wt.%
Residual Gases	400 – 800 ppm oxygen, < 150 ppm nitrogen
Satellite Fraction	< 20%
Tensile Strength (as-printed)	500 – 650 MPa
Yield Strength (as-printed)	400 – 500 MPa
Elongation at Break (as-printed)	35 – 50%
Hardness (as-printed)	80 – 90 HRB
Surface Roughness (as-printed)	As high as 20 μm Ra

Applications Of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

SS316L stainless steel powder for 3D printing is a widely used 3D printing material in multiple fields. Its main application areas include:

Medical Devices and Biotechnology: Due to its excellent biocompatibility and corrosion resistance, SS316L stainless steel is often used to manufacture medical devices, such as surgical instruments, dental implants, and orthopedic implants. Through 3D printing technology, complex bioengineering scaffolds and structures can be customized for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Ocean Engineering: SS316L stainless steel can resist seawater corrosion, making it suitable for equipment and structures in marine environments, such as ship parts, marine platforms, seawater desalination equipment, etc.

Petrochemical industry: In the petrochemical industry, SS316L stainless steel powder is used to manufacture corrosion-resistant pipelines, valves, pumps, and other equipment components for handling corrosive fluids.

Automotive manufacturing: The automotive industry requires corrosion-resistant and high-strength components, such as exhaust systems, fuel systems, and some exterior decorative parts, which can be manufactured using 3D-printed SS316L stainless steel powder.

Food processing and pharmaceutical equipment: Due to its hygiene and corrosion resistance, SS316L stainless steel is commonly used to manufacture food processing equipment and pharmaceutical equipment, such as storage tanks, conveyor belts, mixers, and dryers.

 

Applications of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

Architecture and Decoration: In architecture, SS316L stainless steel powder can be used to print decorative structures, railings, door handles, etc., providing beautiful and durable building elements.

Aerospace: Despite the extremely high requirements for materials in the aerospace industry, SS316L stainless steel powder can still be used in specific applications to manufacture non-critical components or prototypes for testing or auxiliary equipment. Personalized customization and artistic creation printing technology allow for personalized customization, and SS316L stainless steel powder can be used to manufacture customized jewelry, artworks, sculptures, etc.

Production Method of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

Gas Atomization

Melting Stage: High-purity iron, chromium, nickel, molybdenum and other raw materials are melted in a vacuum induction furnace or an argon arc furnace at 1500 – 1600°C to form a homogeneous molten steel liquid.

Atomization Process: The molten steel is sprayed by high-pressure argon or nitrogen gas through a nozzle. The high-pressure gas shears the molten steel into fine droplets, which solidify rapidly in the air to form SS316L powder.

Plasma Atomization

Plasma Heating: The raw materials in the form of rods or wires are fed into a plasma torch. The plasma arc heats the materials to a high temperature, melting them.

Atomization and Cooling: The molten metal is atomized by the high-speed plasma jet and then cooled and solidified in an inert gas environment to obtain SS316L powder with a fine and uniform particle size distribution.

Mechanical Alloying

Raw Material Mixing: Stainless steel raw materials in powder form are accurately weighed and mixed in a ball mill according to the SS316L composition ratio.

Alloying Process: The ball mill operates for a long time. Through the repeated impact and friction of the grinding balls, the raw material powders are deformed, welded and broken, gradually forming SS316L alloy powder.

 Company Profile

RBOSCHCO is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12-year-experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and nanomaterials, including boride powder, nitride powder, graphite powder, sulfide powder, 3D printing powder, etc.The company has a professional technical department and Quality Supervision Department, a well-equipped laboratory, and equipped with advanced testing equipment and after-sales customer service center.If you are looking for high-quality 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder,please feel free to contact us or click on the needed products to send an inquiry. 

 

Storage Condition of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

1) Store in a dry environment at room temperature.

2) Avoid damp and high temperature.

3) Use immediately after opening the inner packing bag.

Payment Term

L/C, T/T, Western Union, Paypal, Credit Card etc.

 

 Shipment Term

By sea, by air, by express, as customers request.

 

 

5 FAQs of 3D Printing Stainless Steel SS316L Powder

Q1

How does the particle size distribution of SS316L stainless steel powder affect 3D printing?

Answer: The particle size distribution of powder significantly impacts the flowability and spreadability of the 3D printing process. A narrower particle size distribution usually means that the powder particles are more uniform, which helps improve the density and surface quality of printed components. Coarse or fine powder can cause unevenness or defects in the printing layer.

 

Q2

Does using SS316L stainless steel powder for 3D printing require special equipment?

Answer: Utilizing SS316L stainless-steel powder for 3D printing generally calls for a steel powder 3D printer, such as laser powder bed blend (LPBF) or electron light beam melting (EBM) devices. These gadgets can offer the essential heat and control setting to make certain total blend in between powder layers and the thickness of parts.

 

Q3

Does the printed SS316L stainless steel component require heat treatment?

Answer: Yes, printed SS316L stainless steel components usually require heat treatment. Heat treatment can eliminate internal stresses generated during the printing process, improve the mechanical properties of components, and optimize their microstructure. The heat treatment type and parameters should be determined based on specific application and performance requirements.

 

Q4

What are the advantages of SS316L stainless steel powder compared to other stainless steel powders?

Answer: Making use of SS316L stainless-steel powder for 3D printing generally calls for a steel powder 3D printer, such as laser powder bed blend (LPBF) or electron beam of light melting (EBM) tools. These gadgets can offer the needed heat and control atmosphere to make certain total blend in between powder layers and the thickness of parts.

 

Q5

How to ensure the quality and purity of SS316L stainless steel powder?

Answer: Making use of SS316L stainless-steel powder for 3D printing generally needs a steel powder 3D printer, such as laser powder bed blend (LPBF) or electron beam of light melting (EBM) tools. These gadgets can supply the essential heat and control setting to guarantee total blend in between powder layers and the thickness of parts.