Corrosion of additively manufactured steel – A Review

Abstract

This paper performs a bibliometric and critical review on the topic “corrosion of additively manufactured steel” using RStudio software and its tools. Data for analysis is collected from the Web of Science (WoS) database. The critical review reveals mechanical behavior, corrosion mechanisms, microstructural evolution, and additive manufacturing (AM) process development, highlighting that corrosion performance is strongly influenced by AM process selection, parameter settings, alloying elements, and post-treatment methods, all of which shape microstructure, surface morphology, and passive layer formation. Based on the reviewed literature, AM techniques produce stainless steels with material properties that promote the formation of a passive oxide film significantly thicker, more electrically resistive, and more uniform than in conventionally produced counterparts. Moreover, the repeated heating and cooling cycles in AM suppress chromium-carbide precipitation along twin boundaries, thereby significantly enhancing resistance to intergranular corrosion compared to wrought counterparts. By optimizingAM parameters, it may be possible to refine grain structure, reduce process-induced defects, enhance post-processing efficiency, and stabilize passive films, enabling AM stainless steels to possibly match or even exceed the corrosion resistance of wrought steels, thus accelerating the use of AM stainless steel in marine engineering applications.