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The objective of this study was to characterize austenitic stainless steel 310 produced by Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM), addressing a gap in the literature regarding this alloy. Microstructural, chemical, and mechanical analyses were performed. Optical and electron microscopy revealed a predominantly columnar grain structure with characteristic tracks along the deposition direction. Point and mapping EDS analyses indicated a homogeneous distribution of iron, chromium, and nickel; however, point measurements suggested a possible underestimation of nickel, likely due to high relative error. Tensile tests demonstrated anisotropic mechanical behavior, with yield strength meeting standards at 45° and 90°, but lower at 0°. Ultimate tensile strength and elongation were below conventional requirements, with a maximum elongation of 15% at 90°. Additionally, the sample exhibited a total porosity of approximately 0.89%, which contributes to the reduction in mechanical properties, especially in the direction parallel to the deposition tracks. Overall, the WAAM-produced 310 stainless steel presented a microstructure similar to hot-rolled and annealed AISI 310 steel, but with distinctive features related to the additive process, such as mechanical anisotropy and microstructural directionality. These limitations highlight the need for process optimization to improve mechanical performance but reinforce the alloy’s structural potential in additive manufacturing. Full article

As there is a strong pressure in the EU to reduce CO₂ emissions and overall fossil fuel consumption in the energy sector, many boilers are burning biomass instead of traditional fuels (coal, natural gas, oil, etc.). This is mainly due to the EU 2030 energy strategy, which commits Member States to reduce fossil fuel emissions by at least 40% (compared to the 1990 level) and to use at least 32% of renewable energy. The combustion of biomass containing aggressive elements such as chlorine or sulfur causes serious damage to various boiler components, with negative impacts such as reduced boiler lifetime, increased investments and maintenance costs, reduced availability, and others. These problems occur mainly in plants/boilers designed to burn coal and redesigned to burn biomass (straw, wood chips, wood pellets, etc.). In this paper, the corrosion resistance of heat coatings determined in long-term laboratory tests in an environment specifically corresponding to biomass flue gas is presented. These results can be used to design a suitable modification of existing coal boilers using conventional materials. The aim was to compare three completely different technologies currently available on local markets for the preparation of these coatings—thin wire arc spray (TWAS), high-velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF), and water-stabilized plasma. These coatings were compared with the base material of the boiler tubes—low alloyed steel 16Mo3 and high alloyed austenitic stainless steel AISI 310 as a more expensive option for retrofit. After 5000 h of exposure in an environment containing HCl and SO₂, no cracks or structural defects were observed in any of the coatings, and the substrate material showed no signs of oxidation. All the tested coatings had higher corrosion resistance than the 16Mo3 material, and some of them presented a corrosion behavior close to that of the high alloy AISI 310 steel. Structurally and corrosion-wise, the thermally sprayed coating prepared by HVOF technology was the best of all tested materials. Full article