Fabrication of Bronze Components by Metal Injection Moulding using Powders with Different Particle Characteristics Articles uri icon

publication date

  • September 2009

start page

  • 5618

end page

  • 5625

issue

  • 15-16

volume

  • 209

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0924-0136

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1873-4774

abstract

  • The aim of this work is to fabricate bronze components by metal injection moulding (MIM) studying the possibility of changing partially or totally the gas atomised powder by water atomised ones that are cheaper than the former. In order to carry out this study, a bronze 90/10 gas atomised spherical powder (usual MIM powder <22 mum) and two water atomised irregular powders (particle size <35 mum and <140 mum) were mixed in different proportions. As received powders and their mixtures were used to fabricate feedstocks and processed by MIM to evaluate the influence of powder particle size and morphology on debinding and sintering stages. Finally, both mechanical properties hardness and maximum flexural stress were determined to characterize the sintered materials. The addition of irregular fine and coarse powders was found to affect the moulding process, although densities and mechanical properties close to values of gas atomised one were obtained after sintering. Therefore, the use of water atomised bronze powders could be a promising way to diminish production costs in this technology.