Phase Analysis and Structural Characterization of SS 316L Stainless Steel Powder by XRD

D. P. Singh*, Pragya Srivastava**, Rohit Srivastava***
*, *** Department of Mechanical Engineering, S R Institute of Management & Technology, Lucknow, India.
** Department of Production Engineering, S R Institute of Management & Technology, Lucknow, India.
Periodicity:July - December'2025

Abstract

Utilizing X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), this study analyzed phase compositions and structural legitimacy of SS316L stainless steel powder. SS316L exhibits superior corrosion resistance, mechanical strength, and thermal tolerance, making it a universal choice across demanding environments. XRD determined the crystallographic structure of SS316L powder and also detected any undesired secondary phases, which could adversely affect its ability to perform in real-world applications. The XRD spectrum of the powder consisted of three distinct peaks at 2θ = 43.5°, 50.6°, and 74.6°, corresponding to the (111), (200), and (220) planes of a face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure, confirming it is in the austenitic phase (γ-Fe). The three prominent peaks also suggest no unwanted secondary phases (ferrite, sigma phase, or chromium carbides) were present, indicating a high level of structural integrity in the powder. The structural integrity of the SS316L powder is important, given its added value in terms of corrosion resistance, mechanical sustainability across a diverse service performance, and performance reliability for applications such as biomedical implants and aerospace components. The XRD findings corroborate that the SS316L powder can and will perform for additive manufacturing and other high-end fabrication performance-based processes where structural integrity is paramount. Therefore, XRD analysis provides itself as a valuable tool for verification of powder phases and quality assurance for high-performance engineering metal powders as additive manufacturing grows in popularity.

Keywords

SS316L Stainless Steel, X-Ray Diffraction, Phase Analysis, Austenitic Stainless Steel, Face-Centered Cubic, Structural Characterization, Secondary Phases.

How to Cite this Article?

Singh, D. P., Srivastava, P., and Srivastava, R. (2025). Phase Analysis and Structural Characterization of SS 316L Stainless Steel Powder by XRD. i-manager’s Journal on Physical Sciences, 4(2), 28-33.

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