Li-ion batteries are at risk of explosions caused by fires, primarily because of the high energy density of Li ions, which raises the temperature. Battery cases are typically made of plastic, aluminum, or SAF30400. Although plastic and aluminum aid weight reduction, their strength and melting points are low. SAF30400 offers excellent strength and corrosion resistance but suffers from work hardening and low high-temperature strength at 700 °C. Additionally, Ni used for plating has a low current density of 25% international copper alloy standard (ICAS). SAF2507 is suitable for use as a Li-ion battery case material because of its excellent strength and corrosion resistance. However, the heterogeneous microstructure of SAF2507 after casting and processing decreases the corrosion resistance, so it requires solution heat treatment. To address these issues, in this study, SAF2507 (780 MPa, 30%) is solution heat-treated at 1100 °C after casting and coated with Ag (ICAS 108.4%) using physical vapor deposition (PVD). Ag is applied at five different thicknesses: 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 μm. The surface conditions and electrochemical properties are then examined for each coating thickness. The results indicate that the PVD-coated surface forms a uniform Ag layer, with electrical conductivity increasing from 1.9% ICAS to 72.3% ICAS depending on the Ag coating thickness. This enhancement in conductivity can improve Li-ion battery safety on charge and use. This result is expected to aid the development of advanced Li-ion battery systems in the future.

Additive manufacturing (AM) via selective laser melting (SLM) is increasingly deployed in aerospace, biomedical, and tooling applications where complex geometries and high performance are required. Yet, process-induced anisotropy and microstructural heterogeneity can strongly affect mechanical and tribological behavior. This study systematically evaluates the combined effects of build orientation (0°, 45°, and 90° relative to the build plate) and post-build heat treatment (as-built, 600 °C, and 860 °C) on the phase constitution, microstructure, hardness, tensile response, and dry sliding wear of SLM-fabricated 316L stainless steel. X-ray diffraction indicated a fully austenitic (γ-fcc) structure without detectable secondary phases across all conditions. Orientation-dependent substructures were observed: ~1 µm equiaxed cellular features at 0°, finer 0.3–0.5 µm cells at 45°, and 1–2 µm elongated features at 90°. Microhardness varied with orientation; relative to 0°, 45° specimens were ~15 HV higher, whereas 90° specimens were ~10 HV lower. Heat treatment at 600 °C promoted refinement and recovery of the cellular network, most pronounced in the 45° orientation, while treatment at 860 °C largely erased melt pool boundary contrast, producing a more homogeneous particle-like microstructure. Tensile fractography revealed dimpled rupture in all cases; the 90° orientation showed finer dimples and lower hardness, consistent with a ductile failure mode under reduced constraint. Dry sliding wear tests identified adhesive wear, intensified by the build-up of transferred fragments, as the dominant mechanism in both as-built and 600 °C conditions. Changes to melt pool morphology after 860 °C heat treatment correlated with altered wear track widths, with the 0° condition showing a notable narrowing relative to the 600 °C state. These results highlight processing pathways for tailoring anisotropy, strength–ductility balance, and wear resistance in SLM 316L.