Harber Metal Injection Molding Materials Suppy Chain Management

Carbonyl iron and nickel powders

Metal Injection Molding (MIM) technology benefits from the availability of fine carbonyl iron and nickel powders that were already being produced industrially when the process was developed.

These powders have spherical particles, which enhances their flowability. They have particle sizes below 10 µm, which is an order of magnitude finer than the atomized and reduced iron powders commonly used in uniaxial powder compaction. Carbonyl iron powder exhibits excellent sintering properties, thanks to its small particle size. This leads to high sintered density, excellent strength, and superior surface texture quality in the final part. The uniform spherical particle shape also contributes to high dimensional accuracy.

Many ferrous MIM alloys utilize carbonyl iron and nickel as the base materials. These powders are mixed with elemental or master alloy powders to achieve the desired alloy composition.

 
 
 
 
Water and gas atomised powders

Prealloyed powders are commonly used for high alloy steels, as well as nickel and cobalt base alloys in Metal Injection Molding (MIM). These alloy powders are typically gas atomized, resulting in spherical particle shapes. In some cases, water atomized powders with irregular particle shapes may also be utilized.

To meet the increasing demand for fine metal powders, manufacturers have made advancements in their atomizing techniques. Nowadays, specialized companies offer a wide range of high alloy steel powders with an average particle size of less than 10 µm. Established suppliers of atomized powders for MIM can be found in Europe, North America, and Asia.

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