Development of porous 316L stainless steel with controllable microcellular features using selective laser melting

The regularly shaped parallel pore gas armed (GASAR) stainless steel porous material with a homogeneous size distribution of unusually micrometer scaled pores (2 μm in average) was successfully prepared using selective laser melting process, by adding 0·10 wt-% gas generating materials in the form of H 3 BO 3 and KBF 4 . The adjustment of pore morphology, pore direction, and porosity was realised by changing material combinations (such as the content of additive materials) and processing conditions (such as the scan speed of laser beam).