Understanding the Effects of Atmosphere Type on Thermal Debinding Behavior<p>

This article examines the effects of reducing, neutral and oxidizing environments and their dew points on the debinding rate in powder injection molding (PIM) processes.

The thermal decomposition of an organic binder component is an operation integral to all PIM processes and most other binder- or lubricant-assisted powder forming processes. An understanding of how to manipulate this decomposition is key to those developing, controlling or improving these processes. The furnace atmosphere represents the largest and most diverse set of variables available to manipulate thermal decomposition behavior.

The combinations and applications of different powder/binder systems are also diverse. This article examines a powder/binder system of broad applicability (316L SS powder with a polyolefin binder) to map its response to manipulation of the furnace atmosphere.