{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T16:56:58Z","timestamp":1785430618212,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783987200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"National Natural Science Foundation of China","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["12535017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["12535017"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["12535017"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["12535017"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/01h0zpd94","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Materials"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The influence of different heat treatment processes on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 18Ni350 maraging steel manufactured by selective laser melting and the corrosion resistance of TiB2 ceramic coatings Electro-Spark-Deposited on its surface when immersed in high-temperature molten aluminum have been investigated in the present study. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the differently heat-treated samples were analyzed using various precision instruments. The results reveal that the as-built sample exhibits a microstructure composed of cellular and columnar dendritic grains. After solution treatment, the microstructure fully transforms into lath-like martensite. After direct aging treatment, the cellular structures diminish, while precipitates at grain boundaries proliferate with increasing aging temperature. SAT- treatment achieves full microstructural homogenization, featuring fine-lath martensite and a small amount of randomly distributed austenite particles. DA- and SAT- significantly improve the strength, hardness and modulus of samples and were found to reduce the toughness and plasticity. After solution treatment at 800 \u00b0C for 1 h followed by aging treatment at 520 \u00b0C for 6 h (SAT 800-520), the specimen achieved an UTS of 2476 MPa while maintaining an EL of 4.6%. The TiB2 coating and the Cr interlayer deposited via ESD form a continuous interfacial bond with the substrate, demonstrating favorable adhesion. After 4 h of static immersion in high-temperature molten aluminum, the coating remains intact without complete delamination, delivering effective protection to the substrate.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ma19143030","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,15]],"date-time":"2026-07-15T01:05:58Z","timestamp":1784077558000},"page":"3030","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Study on Microstructure and Property Regulation of 18Ni350 Maraging Steel Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting and Its Corrosion Resistance to Molten Aluminum"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Lei","family":"Zhang","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Power & Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luwei","family":"Zeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Power & Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhong","family":"Zeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Power & Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6968-4906","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jiuzhang","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Power & Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yanghui","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Power & Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2441-3649","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bing","family":"Yang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Power & Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1917","DOI":"10.1007\/s11665-014-0958-z","article-title":"Metal additive manufacturing: A review","volume":"23","author":"Frazier","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Mater. Eng. Perform."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"64","DOI":"10.1007\/s10853-020-05109-0","article-title":"Additive manufacturing of steels: A review of achievements and challenges","volume":"56","author":"Haghdadi","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. Mater. Sci."},{"key":"ref_3","first-page":"63","article-title":"Effect of direct aging on microstructure and properties of 18Ni350 maraging steel fabricated by wire arc additive manufacturing","volume":"53","author":"Duan","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Mater. Eng."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Li, H., Yan, Q., Hod\u00falov\u00e1, E., Song, L., Zhang, X., Li, Z., and Wang, Y. (2026). Controlling microstructure and mechanical properties of directed energy deposition-arc fabricated 18Ni-350 maraging steel through inter-layer temperature adjustment. Weld. World, 1\u201316.","DOI":"10.1007\/s40194-026-02412-3"},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"151","DOI":"10.1016\/j.optlastec.2014.07.021","article-title":"Experimental investigation and statistical optimisation of the selective laser melting process of a maraging steel","volume":"65","author":"Casalino","year":"2015","journal-title":"Opt. Laser Technol."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"142334","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2021.142334","article-title":"Processing optimization, microstructure, mechanical properties and nanoprecipitation behavior of 18Ni300 maraging steel in selective laser melting","volume":"830","author":"Mao","year":"2022","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"102260","article-title":"Effects of notch-load interactions on the mechanical performance of 3D printed tool steel 18Ni300","volume":"47","author":"Afkhami","year":"2021","journal-title":"Addit. Manuf."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105725","DOI":"10.1016\/j.optlastec.2019.105725","article-title":"Effect of heat treatment on microstructure and mechanical behaviours of 18Ni-300 maraging steel manufactured by selective laser melting","volume":"120","author":"Song","year":"2019","journal-title":"Opt. Laser Technol."},{"key":"ref_9","unstructured":"Min, Y. (2004). Study on the Surface Treatment Process of H13 Type Hot Work Steel and its Subsequent Thermal Fatigue and Erosion Behaviors. [Ph.D. Thesis, Shanghai University]."},{"key":"ref_10","first-page":"67","article-title":"Influence of nitriding process on properties of H13 hot work die steel","volume":"30","author":"Tian","year":"2020","journal-title":"Powder Metall. Ind."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Chen, C. (2011). New Surface Processing Technology of Electrospark, China Machine Press."},{"key":"ref_12","first-page":"221","article-title":"Progress in Research and Application of Electro-spark Deposition Technology","volume":"37","author":"Zhang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Mater. Rep."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4870","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ceramint.2024.11.460","article-title":"Electrophoretic deposition of TiB2 coatings on cemented carbide in molten fluorides","volume":"51","author":"Kou","year":"2024","journal-title":"Ceram. Int."},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"178","article-title":"Characteristics of TiB2 coating on surface of copper electrode prepared by electrospark deposition","volume":"30","author":"Luo","year":"2009","journal-title":"Trans. Mater. Heat Treat."},{"key":"ref_15","unstructured":"Bui, N., and Dabosi, F. (1972). Contribution to the study of the effect of molybdenum on the ageing kinetics of maraging steels. Cobalt, 192\u2013201."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2019.03.129","article-title":"Effect of thermal cycling and aging stages on the microstructure and bending strength of a selective laser melted 300-grade maraging steel","volume":"758","author":"Conde","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"815","DOI":"10.1007\/s10973-010-0745-5","article-title":"Phase transformation in a nanostructured M300 maraging steel obtained by SPS of mechanically alloyed powders","volume":"101","author":"Menapace","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. Therm. Anal. Calorim."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"10","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2004.01.040","article-title":"Quantification of phase transformation kinetics of 18 wt.% Ni C250 maraging steel","volume":"373","author":"Guo","year":"2004","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cad.2015.04.001","article-title":"The status, challenges, and future of additive manufacturing in engineering","volume":"69","author":"Gao","year":"2015","journal-title":"Comput. Aided Des."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Casati, R., Lemke, J.N., Tuissi, A., and Vedani, M. (2016). Aging Behaviour and Mechanical Performance of 18-Ni 300 Steel Processed by Selective Laser Melting. Metals, 6.","DOI":"10.3390\/met6090218"},{"key":"ref_21","first-page":"103071","article-title":"Effect of aging temperature on microstructure evolution and strengthening behavior of L-PBF 18Ni(300) maraging steel","volume":"58","author":"Mei","year":"2022","journal-title":"Addit. Manuf."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"381","article-title":"Effect of Solution Temperature on Fracture Toughness and Microstructure of Ultrapuified 18Ni(350) Maraging Steel","volume":"4","author":"He","year":"2003","journal-title":"Acta Metall. Sin."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1038\/nmat5021","article-title":"Additively manufactured hierarchical stainless steels with high strength and ductility","volume":"17","author":"Wang","year":"2017","journal-title":"Nat. Mater."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jmrt.2024.09.054","article-title":"A comprehensive study on the microstructure evolution and mechanical property characterization of selective laser melted 18Ni300 stainless steel during heat treatment processes","volume":"33","author":"Ma","year":"2024","journal-title":"J. Mater. Res. Technol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/S0927-0256(03)00092-2","article-title":"Modelling the correlation between processing parameters and properties of maraging steels using artificial neural network","volume":"29","author":"Guo","year":"2004","journal-title":"Comput. Mater. Sci."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"121455","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actamat.2025.121455","article-title":"Precipitate evolution in an ultrahigh-strength, carbon-impurity-enhanced maraging steel manufactured via laser powder bed fusion","volume":"300","author":"Wang","year":"2025","journal-title":"Acta Mater."},{"key":"ref_27","first-page":"176","article-title":"Effect of Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Selective Laser Melted 18Ni300 Maraging Steel","volume":"51","author":"Xiang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Chin. Laser"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1016\/j.msea.2018.12.070","article-title":"Process phenomena influencing the tensile and anisotropic characteristics of additively manufactured maraging steel","volume":"745","author":"Mooney","year":"2019","journal-title":"Mater. Sci. Eng. A"},{"key":"ref_29","first-page":"88","article-title":"Electrospark deposition of WC\u201320Ni coating on PH17-4 stainless steel and its characterization","volume":"37","author":"Zhou","year":"2018","journal-title":"Electroplat. Finish."},{"key":"ref_30","first-page":"89","article-title":"Research status of the effect of electrospark deposition process parameters on coating quality","volume":"42","author":"Yi","year":"2023","journal-title":"J. Wuhan Polytech. Univ."},{"key":"ref_31","first-page":"74","article-title":"Experimental Study on Process Parameters of Nano-WC Coating by ESD","volume":"53","author":"Wang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Hot Work. Technol."},{"key":"ref_32","first-page":"3366","article-title":"Microstructures and properties of YG8 coating on 0Cr13Ni5Mo cast steel fabricated by electro-spark deposition","volume":"22","author":"Zhang","year":"2012","journal-title":"Chin. J. Nonferr. Met."},{"key":"ref_33","first-page":"63","article-title":"Microstructure and properties of TiB2 coating deposited by electrospark on the surface of Cr12MoV","volume":"35","author":"Lu","year":"2009","journal-title":"Die Mould. Ind."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"42","DOI":"10.1016\/j.apsusc.2004.05.299","article-title":"Interface behavior study of WC92\u2013Co8 coating produced by electrospark deposition","volume":"240","author":"Ruijun","year":"2005","journal-title":"Appl. Surf. Sci."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"512","DOI":"10.1179\/030192310X12700328925868","article-title":"Studies of wetting characteristics of liquid Fe\u2013Cr alloys on oxide substrates by sessile drop technique","volume":"37","author":"Lee","year":"2010","journal-title":"Ironmak. Steelmak."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"744","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-0248(85)90386-0","article-title":"Crystal morphology of the compound TiB2","volume":"71","author":"Hamar","year":"1985","journal-title":"J. Cryst. Growth"},{"key":"ref_37","first-page":"986","article-title":"Solidification Microstructure, Fracture Behavior and In-Situ Toughening of TiC-TiB2 Fi-ne-grained Composite Ceramics","volume":"31","author":"Zhang","year":"2011","journal-title":"Spec. Cast. Nonferr. Alloys"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"251","DOI":"10.1016\/0022-0248(70)90019-9","article-title":"Growth of titanium diboride single crystals in molten aluminum","volume":"7","author":"Higashi","year":"1970","journal-title":"J. Cryst. Growth"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"157","DOI":"10.1016\/j.matchar.2017.12.024","article-title":"Microstructural evolution and growth behavior of intermetallic compounds at the liquid Al\/solid Fe interface by synchrotron X-ray radiography","volume":"136","author":"Ding","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mater. Charact."}],"container-title":["Materials"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1944\/19\/14\/3030\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,16]],"date-time":"2026-07-16T04:13:50Z","timestamp":1784175230000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/1996-1944\/19\/14\/3030"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]},"references-count":39,"journal-issue":{"issue":"14","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["ma19143030"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/ma19143030","relation":{},"ISSN":["1996-1944"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1996-1944","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]]}}}