Nanopowders for PIM
KE-31.5530 Nanoparticles
Arno Lehtonen
4. 5. 2011
Why Injection Moulding?
For complex shaped components powder
injection moulding (PIM) is the technology of
choice since it is capable of producing near-
net-shape parts in highly automated serial
production. Four manufacturing steps have to
be carried out: compounding of feedstock,
injection moulding, debinding and sintering.
Powder Injection Moulding Process
Why PIM and Nanopowders?
• PIM = P (powder properties) + IM (forming)
• Rheology; thin details (MST-parts)
• The general rule is that the minimum feature
that can be produced is ten times the particle
size
• Mechanical properties (Drills, cutting tools)
• Available powders: Copper, iron, tungsten,
cobalt, zirconia, alumina, tungsten carbide
General Powder Requirements
• Grain size and size distribution
• Grain form
• No agglomerates
• No surface contamination
• No closed pores
Formulating and Mixing Feedstock
• Most binder systems consist of waxes and
polymers
• Surface active component
• Requirements: Excellent flowability, high
solids loading, form retaining ability and easy
debinding
Powder Loading
Binder System for Cemented
Carbides
• Melting range C Evaporation C
• 49 % Parafiin 43 - 66 230
• 39 % Polypropylen 170 350
• 10 % Carnauba-vax 83 - 86 280
• 2 % Stearinic accid 70 190
Vacuum Z-blade mixer
Injection Moulding
• Homogenous filling of the mould cavity
• Low internal stress
• Elimination of weld lines
Flow Patterns and Weld Lines
JSW 50 ton injection moulding unit
Debinding
• Vacuum assisted thermal treatment
• As wax komponents evaporate, they create
chanels for escaping gasses
• Rearrangement of particles
• Forming of form sustaining sceleton
Debinding Defects
Sintering
• Vacuum and / or pressure assisted thermal
treatment
• High density part; shrinkage
• Porosity, chemical balance
• Grain growth; inhibitors
Phase diagram of the W–C system
Problems with IM Nanopowders
• Pyrophoricity, working hazards
• Large specific surface area and the associated
tendency to agglomerate
• Effects of storage time to feedstock
• Defects can be created in the bebinding stage;
capillary forces
• Grain growth during sintering
Grain Growth
References (1/3)
• Influence of dispersant, storage time and temperature on the rheological properties of zirconia–paraffin feedstocks for LPIM
• Fatih A. Cetinel , Werner Bauer, Marcus Müller, Regina Knitter, Jürgen Haußelt
• Journal of the European Ceramic Society 30 (2010) 1391–1400
• Micro powder injection moulding
• Rudolf Zauner
• Microelectronic Engineering 83 (2006) 1442–1444
• "The smaller they come, the harder they get"; metal-powder.net, December 2005
• Micro powder injection moulding of alumina micro-channel part
• Junhu Menga, Ngiap Hiang Loha, Gang Fua, Bee Yen Tay, Shu Beng Tor
• Journal of the European Ceramic Society 31 (2011), 1049 – 1056
• RM. Materials for microminiature powder injection molded medical and dental devices
• German
• Int. J. Powder Metall 2010;46:15–8.
References (2/3)
• Powder-binder separation in injection moulded green parts
• Anne Mannschatz, Sören Höhn, Tassilo Moritz
• Journal of the European Ceramic Society 30 (2010), 2827 – 2832
• Simulation of Micro Powder Injection Moulding: Powder Segregation and Yield Stress Effects during Form Filling
• Andreas Greiner et al.
• Journal of the European Ceramic Society (2011)
• Debinding behaviors of injection molded ceramic bodies with nano-sized pore channels during extraction using supercritical
carbon dioxide and n-heptane solvent
• Sang Woo Kim
• J. of Supercritical Fluids 51 (2010) 339–344
• An experimental study of the sintering of nanocrystalline WC–Co powders
• Z. Fang, P. Maheshwari, X. Wang, H.Y. Sohn, A. Griffo, R. Riley
• International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials 23 (2005) 249–257
• Grain growth during the early stage of sintering of nanosized WC–Co powder
• Xu Wang, Zhigang Zak Fang , Hong Yong Sohn
• International Journal of Refractory Metals & Hard Materials 26 (2008) 232–241
References (3/3)
• Sintering of nano-sized WC–Co powders produced by a gas reduction–carburization process
• Gwan-Hyoung Lee, Shinhoo Kang
• Journal of Alloys and Compounds 419 (2006) 281–289
• Other reading:
• Powder Injection Molding
• Randall M. German
• MPIF, Princeton, New Jersey; 1990, ISBN 0-918404-95-9
• Keraamien ruiskupuristus
• Minna-Liisa Vesanen
• DI-työ, TTKK:n Konetekniikan osasto, 1988