Powder Injection Moulding of Multi-modal Type Iron Micro-Nano Powder Mixture

• Published in: European Congress and Exhibition on Powder Metallurgy. European PM Conference Proceedings pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Lee, Jai-Sung, Park, Jin-Soo, Song, Jun-Il, Lee, Geon-Yong
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Shrewsbury The European Powder Metallurgy Association 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Accuracy; Automotive electronics; Automotive parts; Densification; Electronic components; Grain boundaries; Grain growth; Heat; Injection molding; Iron; Medical electronics; Packaging; Particle size; Powder injection molding; Raw materials; Sintering; Sintering (powder metallurgy)

Powder injection molding (PIM) process has been developed to fabricate micro-parts of automotive, medical, and electronic components due to its versatility on manufacturing geometrically complex component. Generally, a feedstock with high solid loading leads to minimal dimensional variation, improving the dimensional accuracy of final components. The authors' previous works reported that the bi-modal typed micro-nano powder feedstock containing low viscosity wax binder enabled its PIM process to proceed at low temperature. Based on this result, we have been trying to apply this idea for PIM of multi-modal powder mixture system including tri-modal type micro-nano powder. The present study focused on the entire PIM processes during mixing, molding at 75 °C and sintering of tri-modal iron powder feedstock compared to the bi-modal type powder. Experimental results are discussed in terms of the nano powder effects on low-temperature molding and sintering behavior including densification and microstructure development.