PSI - Issue 82

ScienceDirect Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000 Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000–000 Available online at www.sciencedirect.com Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect

www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

Procedia Structural Integrity 82 (2026) 3–8

© 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Abstract Failure analysis presented in this study investigates the impact of the natural marine environment of the Adriatic Sea on the properties of welded AISI 316L stainless steel produced by 3D printing. The welding of 3D-printed components holds particular relevance for the maritime industry, which is exploring 3D printing and additive manufacturing technology as a solution for the repair and maintenance of ships and offshore structures. Three types of welded specimens were evaluated: a pair of 3D-printed parts, a hybrid of printed and conventionally manufactured parts, and, as a reference, a pair of conventionally manufactured parts. These specimens were submerged in seawater for durations of one, three, and six months. After retrieval, assessments were conducted to determine changes in mass and tensile strength. The results indicate that conventionally manufactured steel demonstrates superior recovery in tensile strength during the initial exposure periods. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses revealed a significant influence from the marine environment, stressing the necessity of testing under real-world conditions. Key features of this research include extended exposure to the natural marine environment and comparative evaluation of various welded configurations of AISI 316L stainless steel. © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Keywords: AISI 316L; additive manufacturing; 3D printing; corrosion; marine environment Abstract Failure analysis presented in this study investigates the impact of the natural marine environment of the Adriatic Sea on the properties of welded AISI 316L stainless steel produced by 3D printing. The welding of 3D-printed components holds particular relevance for the maritime industry, which is exploring 3D printing and additive manufacturing technology as a solution for the repair and maintenance of ships and offshore structures. Three types of welded specimens were evaluated: a pair of 3D-printed parts, a hybrid of printed and conventionally manufactured parts, and, as a reference, a pair of conventionally manufactured parts. These specimens were submerged in seawater for durations of one, three, and six months. After retrieval, assessments were conducted to determine changes in mass and tensile strength. The results indicate that conventionally manufactured steel demonstrates superior recovery in tensile strength during the initial exposure periods. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses revealed a significant influence from the marine environment, stressing the necessity of testing under real-world conditions. Key features of this research include extended exposure to the natural marine environment and comparative evaluation of various welded configurations of AISI 316L stainless steel. © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers Keywords: AISI 316L; additive manufacturing; 3D printing; corrosion; marine environment 8th International Conference on Structural Integrity and Durability (ICSID2025) Failure analysis of 3D-printed steel AISI 316L in the marine environment Goran Vukelić a, *, Benjamin Mihaljec a , Željko Božić b a University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies, Studentska 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia b University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, I. Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia 8th International Conference on Structural Integrity and Durability (ICSID2025) Failure analysis of 3D-printed steel AISI 316L in the marine environment Goran Vukelić a, *, Benjamin Mihaljec a , Željko Božić b a University of Rijeka, Faculty of Maritime Studies, Studentska 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia b University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, I. Lučića 5, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +385 51 338 411. E-mail address: goran.vukelic@pfri.uniri.hr * Corresponding author. Tel.: +385 51 338 411. E-mail address: goran.vukelic@pfri.uniri.hr

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers 2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Copy from the contract: Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers

2452-3216 © 2026 The Authors. Published by ELSEVIER B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of ICSID organizers 10.1016/j.prostr.2026.04.002