ARCHIVES OF FOUNDRY ENGINEERING, vol.17, no.3, pp.163-167, 2017 (ESCI)
Among the family of stainless steels, cast austenitic stainless steels (CASSs) are preferably used due to their high mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. These steels owe their properties to their microstructural features consisting of an austenitic matrix and skeletal or lathy type delta-ferrite depending on the cooling rate. In this study, the solidification behavior of CASSs (304L and 316L grades) was studied using ThermoCalc software in order to determine the solidification sequence and final microstructure during cooling. Theoretical findings were supported by the microstructural examinations. For the mechanical characterization, not only hardness measurements but also tribological studies were carried out under dry sliding conditions and worn surfaces were examined by microscopy and 3D profilometric analysis. Results were discussed according to the type and amount of microstructural features.