Laser powder bed fusion of TaC-reinforced FV520B maraging steel with simultaneous enhancement of mechanical properties and corrosion resistance

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Additive manufacturing, colloquially referred to as 3D printing, enables the direct printing of complex maraging steel components. However, it remains challenging to improve the strength of 3D-printed maraging steels without seriously impairing their ductility. Here we report a dispersion-strengthening strategy for the fabrication of maraging steels with enhanced strength and acceptable ductility via the addition of TaC particles. The micro-sized TaC particles convert to finely dispersed high-density nanoparticles and contribute to the strengthening of the as-built specimen. The dissolved TaC solute suppresses martensitic transformation upon cooling and results in the formation of the austenite/martensite duplex microstructure. In addition, the elemental segregation and high-density dislocations network contribute to the formation of the cellular structure. Consequently, the microstructural changes due to the TaC addition result in an exceptional synergy of strength-ductility and significantly enhanced corrosion resistance. This work provides a promising way to fabricate dispersion-strengthened maraging steels with high overall performance.