QuesTek Innovations has launched a new stainless steel powder for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing (AM).
According to the company, the resultant 3D printed parts can be used in their as-printed condition or with a single low-temperature heat treatment and are comparable to wrought 17-4 PH, without the need for expensive cryogenic processing or high-temperature heat treatment.
Questek says that 17-4 steel powder used in AM often requires higher-cost argon-atomized powder to avoid retained austenite issues and the quality of argon-atomized 17-4 parts can fluctuate widely and are sensitive to the feedstock composition.
‘With QuesTek's QT 17-4 powders, a fully martensitic microstructure is achieved in the as-printed condition,’ said Dr Dana Frankel, QuesTek manager. ‘The high temperature solution heat treatment process, required for conventional 17-4, is not needed for QuesTek's alloys, and the resulting properties have less variation.’
Two feedstock options are available: QT 17-4 for use in the direct aged condition and QT 17-4+ for use in the as-printed condition. The 17-4 powders are suitable for aerospace, defense, medical, chemical processing and energy.
This story uses material from Questek, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
