▎ 摘　　要

Since its inception, additive manufacturing has facilitated the processing of novel metal matrix composites that are challenging to fabricate using conventional manufacturing methods. The laser-based additive manufacturing process is a promising technology to fabricate uniformly dispersed graphene-reinforced stainless steel nano -composite. In this study, the effect of energy density modulation on densification, microstructure, and me-chanical properties of (316L) stainless steel reinforced with 0.2 wt% multi-layered graphene nanosheets was investigated. The highest relative densification (94.7% +/- 0.5) has been achieved at the volumetric energy density of 240 J/mm3. The formation of dislocation cells, inclusions and graphene-steel interaction have been identified in the microscopic analysis. Addition of graphene as reinforcement and nano-inclusions formed (in situ) during solidification promotes the pinning of dislocations around the cellular sub-grains. Alteration of volumetric energy density is an essential technique to tune the texture and microstructure of the additively manufactured samples. As the volumetric energy density increased to 240 J/mm3, the tensile strength achieved is around 1165 +/- 5 MPa.