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PIM
Powder injection molding (PIM)

Materials for Powder Injection Molding (PIM)

What is powder injection molding (PIM)?

PIM is a technique for manufacturing miniature high-precision metallic or ceramic components. In PIM, a metallic or ceramic powder is first blended with a binder, then injection molded, processed to remove binder components, and sintered.

PIM was developed in the U.S. during the 1970s as an advanced approach to powder metallurgy for manufacturing metal components; the technique combined conventional methods of powder metallurgy with injection-molding techniques for plastics. The traditional approach to powder metallurgy, known as press molding, involved inserting metal powders into molds and could only produce components with relatively simple shapes. In contrast, PIM fabricates metal components according to the same principles used in injection molding, allowing mass production of complex-shaped components.

What is Powder Injection Molding (PIM)?

Among the various types of resin used as PIM binders, polyacetal (also known as polyoxymethylene or POM) has a number of particularly valuable properties: it is easily processed, offers high dimensional stability and high mechanical strength, and exists as a crystalline resin with many physical properties that remain stable over a range of temperatures extending up to the melting point.  These properties of POM make it the primary choice for injection modeling of precision resin components such as gears—and carry over directly to the PIM domain when POM is used as a binder.​​

Asahi Kasei offers suitable binder products for both catalytic debinding and thermal debinding in powder injection molding (PIM). 
In addition to binder resins for catalytic debinding, we have developed an all-in-one binder suitable for heat degreasing in metal injection molding (MIM).

All-in-one binder for thermal debinding　in MIM  TENAC-P PT120

All-in-one binder for thermal debinding in MIM: TENAC™-P PT120

TENAC™-P PT120 is a grade developed as an All-in-one binder suitable for thermal debinding in metal injection molding(MIM).

金属射出成形（MIM） の加熱脱脂用のオールインワンバインダー テナック™-P PT120
All-in-one binder for thermal debinding in MIM: TENAC™-P PT120

Using our alloying technology, multiple types of resins are aggregated and dispersed to reduce voids and residues in sintered parts. 

This binder is suitable for thin shaped parts and medical parts.

Comparison of void rario between TENAC™-P PT120 and general binder
Comparison of void rario between TENAC™-P PT120 and general binder

As shown in the table below, sintered compacts made with TENAC™-P PT120 have high mechanical properties. High quality sintered compacts can be obtained with little variation in mechanical strength.

Mechanical properties (after sintering) 
Mechanical properties (after sintering) 

For more information, please contact us.

If you require more detailed information or samples of TENAC™-P TT120, please contact us from below.

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WorldPM Exhibit Materials

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Polyacetal copolymer for catalytic debinding tenac-c FF520 / FF52P

For catalytic debinding in PIM: TENAC™-C FF520 / FF52P

TENAC™-C FF520 and FF52P are ultra-high fluidity polyacetal copolymers developed as binders suitable for catalytic debinding in powder injection molding (PIM).

TENAC™-C FF520（left, pellet） / FF52P（right, powder）
TENAC™-C FF520（left, pellet） / FF52P（right, powder）

Polyacetal (POM) is commonly used as a resin constituent of PIM binders due to the high strength of POM itself and its ability to decompose with no residue under application of acid or heat.

TENAC™-C FF520 and FF52P combine the superior mechanical properties of POM with the advantage of ultra-high flow. 

 

General Properties of TENAC™-C FF520 and FF52P and each resin 

Item​ Test​​ Methods​ Unit TENAC™-C
FF52P		 TENAC™-C
FF520		 TENAC™-C
7520		 HDPE* PP*
Meltmass flow rate
(190℃, 2.16kg)		 ISO 1133 g/10min 120 120 30 40 75
(at 230℃)
Density​ ISO 1183 g/cm3 1.41 1.41 1.41 0.96 0.90
Melting point​ DSC ℃ 165 165 165 133 162
Incineration residue TGA
500℃, under N2		 % 0 0 0 0.5 0
Modulus of elasticity​​ in tension​ ISO 527-1 MPa 2840 2840 2800 1000 1400
Elastic modulus in​​ bend ISO 178 MPa 2810 2810 2600 1000 1300
Charpy impact strength​
（notched）		 ISO 179 kJ/m2 3 3 5 2.5 2
Deflection temperature​​under load
(0.45MPa)		 ISO75 ℃ 156 156 156 67 100
Shape – – Powder
d50≒500㎛		 Pellet Pellet Pellet Pellet
emarks Ultra-high flow Ultra-high flow Ultra-high flow Reference​ value Reference​ value

*Indicates the reference values for the grades used in PIM.

Sintered ISO2740 dumbbell fabricated using TENAC™-C FF520 (unpolished)
Sintered ISO2740 dumbbell fabricated using TENAC™-C FF520 (unpolished)

For more information, please download slides

We hope you will consider Asahi Kasei’s FF520 / FF52P as  ideal match for your design needs. For more information, please refer to the slides available from the download link below.​ TENAC™-C FFF520 / FF52P as  ideal match for your design needs. For more information, please refer to the slides available from the download link below.

TENAC™-C FF520 / FF52P Download Slides ​

TENAC™-C FF520 / FF52P
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Powder injection molding (PIM) related information

The PIM Process

PIM encompasses both metal injection molding (MIM), based on metallic powders, and ceramic injection molding (CIM), based on ceramic powders; the both processes are nearly identical in practice.

A typical PIM process, here assuming the use of a metallic powder (MIM) as an example, proceeds as follows.

First, the metallic powder is blended with a binder (plastic + wax) to yield a uniform mixture, which is compounded into feedstock with good formability properties. The pelletized feedstock is then molded by an injection-molding machine, just like typical plastics. The resulting molding parts are heated and treated with solvents, catalysts, and other agents to remove binders, then finally sintered in a furnace to yield high-precision metal components. The molding parts obtained immediately following injection molding contain some concentration of binder resins, but these components are eliminated by the binder-removal and sintering steps, ultimately producing metallic bodies with complicated three-dimensional shapes similar to that of plastic injection molding.

Powder injection molding

Features of PIM

PIM is a processing technique capable of addressing a broad and expanding range of needs, including the production of precision instruments, electrical and communication devices, automotive components, and medical devices. PIM essentially forms metallic components via the same procedure used to manufacture plastics and has the following key features.

  • ​Capable of manufacturing high-precision components with complicated shapes
  • ​Allows high flexibility in the choice of metallic materials
  • ​Excellent for mass production with minimal variation in quality
  • ​No need to remove shavings, or for other post-processing steps
  • Restricted in practice to fabrication of small components due to difficulties in handling larger bodies

Resins used as PIM binders

Resins used as PIM binders must satisfy several practical requirements.

  • Resins must blend with metal or ceramic powders to yield uniform mixtures (for feedstocks).
  • Feed stocks must have good processing and formability properties.
  • Increased strength of the molded product
  • No defects during debinding

Related information

tenac

TENAC™ polyacetal resins

product

Excellent self-lubricating nature, fatigue behavior, and oil resistance. It is used in gears, bearings, automotive interiors and medical parts.

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「Technology」

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