ABSTRACT
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as rapid prototyping or 3D printing technique, has been continuously improving day by day, which has led to an increase in its application in a wide range of industries. Selective laser melting, one of the most popular AM approaches, has great promise for producing complex-shaped components that are challenging to fabricate using traditional methods. AISI 316L is a commonly used austenitic stainless steel with strong corrosion resistance and exceptional mechanical characteristics, making it a great choice for many industries, including the biomedical, aerospace, defence, oil and gas, and petrochemical sectors. This selective laser-melted AISI 316L component is often postprocessed by using various types of heat treatments to enhance the properties further by changing the microstructure. Thus, in this chapter, we have critically reviewed a wide range of investigations based on heat treatments and their effect on microstructure evolution, mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms associated with them. We have also discussed the current challenges and future scope of the existing literature, followed by a summary of all the discussed studies.
