Effect of Binder Modification on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Binder Jet 3D Printed 316L Stainless Steel

CHEN Hui; LU Ziyang; XU Long; WANG Fan; YUAN Kang; CHEN Chao; JIA Yandong

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.021

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2025, Vol. 17 ›› Issue (12) : 199-207. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.021

Additive Manufacturing

Effect of Binder Modification on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Binder Jet 3D Printed 316L Stainless Steel

CHEN Hui^1a, LU Ziyang^1a, XU Long^1a,1b*, WANG Fan^1b, YUAN Kang^1b, CHEN Chao^1b, JIA Yandong²

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Abstract

The work aims to improve the density of the microstructure in metal parts produced by binder jet 3D printing, thereby enhancing their overall mechanical properties. The addition of metal salts to the existing binder to regulate its viscosity and surface tension promoted the densification process of metal powder during the sintering of blanks, ultimately enhancing the mechanical properties of the metal material. Adding an appropriate amount of copper acetate to the binder could ensure the stability of the binder's properties. During the printing process, the binder jet 3D printing of 316L stainless steel proceeded smoothly without abnormalities, resulting in blanks with high dimensional accuracy and low surface roughness. Moreover, the sintered specimens exhibited significantly increased density and the mechanical testing revealed a 44% improvement in ductility and a 3.5% increase in tensile strength. These findings indicate that incorporating an appropriate amount of copper acetate into the binder promotes the sintering densification of binder jet 3D printed 316L metal parts and thereby enhances their mechanical properties.

Key words

binder jet 3D printing / binder modification / 316L stainless steel / microstructure / mechanical properties

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CHEN Hui, LU Ziyang, XU Long, WANG Fan, YUAN Kang, CHEN Chao, JIA Yandong. Effect of Binder Modification on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Binder Jet 3D Printed 316L Stainless Steel[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2025, 17(12): 199-207 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2025.12.021

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Funding

The National Science Foundation of China (52401212); The National Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20241020); The Jiangsu Province University Collaborative Innovation Centre (High-Tech Ships) Program (XTCX202401); The Zhenjiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Program (GJ2023011); Zhenjiang Municipal Science and Technology Plan Basic Research Project (JC2025034); Zhenjiang Municipal Association for Science and Technology Young Scientific and Technological Talent Support Project (ZJTJ-2025-020)