LAUSR

ABSTRACT Low-pressure powder injection moulding (LPIM) is a cost-effective manufacturing technology used to fabricate complex-shaped parts with high mechanical properties at low- or high-volume production. This research work presents an experimental approach to investigate the debound/sintered properties of iron components produced by the LPIM process using iron-based powders exhibiting different particle shapes and size distributions. Four low-viscosity feedstocks were mixed and injected into a rectangular mould cavity before being thermally wick-debound and finally sintered using identical debinding and sintering cycles. This study confirms that both irregular and spherical iron powders can be shaped via the LPIM process. The solid loadings obtained with these two powder morphologies, varying from 58 to 62 vol.-%, represent expected values. The trend in the density values obtained with irregular (∼6.6 g/cm3) and spherical (∼7.5 g/cm3) powders was validated by metallographic observations.