Influence of Surface Texturing on Cavitation Erosion Behavior of 17-4PH Stainless Steel Manufactured Through Powder Bed Additive Manufacturing

Microscale texturing of metallic surfaces via laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) is an effective strategy for protection against material deterioration under cavitation. Herein, linear channel and rectangular pocket-shaped micro-textures were created on 17-4PH stainless steel through additive manufacturing (AM) and subjected to ultrasonic cavitation erosion (CE) and cavitation erosion-corrosion (CEC) conditions. Compared to AM flat sample, rectangular pocket micro-textured sample shows 7-8 times greater resistance to CE and CEC. Such enhanced CEC resistance is attributed to the dampening effect of shockwaves by liquid micro-reservoir. Furthermore, the mechanical properties, electrochemical corrosion testing, microstructure, and micromorphology of deteriorated samples and their synergistic effect were investigated. The current study shows that AM-based micro-texturing is a promising solution for large-scale protection against CEC in hydraulic and marine applications.