Abstract. Solvent debinding is one of a crucial stage in Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) process. This process begins with the removal of the soluble binder components by using solvents such as heptane or hexane. In solvent debinding process, unsuccessful to achieve maximum binder removal will cause a defect to the compact such as crack and swelling. So to have an optimum solvent debinding parameters are very important to improve the quality of the compact. Optimisation of solvent debinding process parameters for MIM of Stainless Steel 316L has been testified in this study. Gas atomised stainless steel 316L powder was mixed with a multicomponent binder in a twin blade mixer at a temperature of 150 °C for 90 minutes. The feedstock was successfully injected at the temperature of 150 °C. The green compacts were kept in n-heptane for eight different debinding times ranging between 30 to 240 minutes at temperatures of 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C to remove the primary binder components. From the result, the optimum temperature and time for solvent debinding were recorded at 60 °C and 240 minutes. Solvent debinding temperature and time give a significant effect on the rate of paraffin wax removal.
Selective laser melting (SLM) process is one of an additive manufacturing technology that has the capabilities of fabricating complex geometries with an excellent accuracy and resolution. Compared to conventional powder metallurgy techniques metal injection moulding (MIM), SLM has several advantages such as low production cost for small batch fabrication, high degrees of geometrical freedom and customisation, and short cycle time. The present work analyses and compares the tensile properties and metallography differences of the stainless steel 316L compacts fabricated by two powder-based manufacturing processes; SLM and MIM, respectively. The SLM compact was built at 0-degree building orientation by SLM 125 HL machine with default optimum processing parameters for stainless steel 316L powder. On the other hand, MIM process produced similar dimension of tensile-shaped compacts differently that by sintered at three different sintering conditions in highly pure argon flow atmosphere. The tensile testing revealed that SLM tensile compact was higher in tensile strength (29% more) and Microstructural comparison and mechanical properties of stainless steel 316L 77 elongation (62% more) at fracture as compared to MIM compact. From microstructure observation, the MIM compact showed the presence of significant amount of porosity which led to moderate mechanical properties compared to SLM compact performances.
Selective laser melting (SLM) process is one of an additive manufacturing technology that has the capabilities of fabricating complex geometries with an excellent accuracy and resolution. Compared to conventional powder metallurgy techniques metal injection moulding (MIM), SLM has several advantages such as low production cost for small batch fabrication, high degrees of geometrical freedom and customisation, and short cycle time. The present work analyses and compares the tensile properties and metallography differences of the stainless steel 316L compacts fabricated by two powder-based manufacturing processes; SLM and MIM, respectively. The SLM compact was built at 0-degree building orientation by SLM 125 HL machine with default optimum processing parameters for stainless steel 316L powder. On the other hand, MIM process produced similar dimension of tensile-shaped compacts differently that by sintered at three different sintering conditions in highly pure argon flow atmosphere. The tensile testing revealed that SLM tensile compact was higher in tensile strength (29% more) and Microstructural comparison and mechanical properties of stainless steel 316L 77 elongation (62% more) at fracture as compared to MIM compact. From microstructure observation, the MIM compact showed the presence of significant amount of porosity which led to moderate mechanical properties compared to SLM compact performances.
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