Analysis of Macroscopic and Microscopic Properties in 316L Stainless Steel, Multicomponent Binder, MIM Specimens Using Image Analysis Software

摘要

Through the years, the PIM (Powder Injection Molding) and the P/M (Powder Metallurgy) industries have devoted considerable effort to the analysis of P/M compact sintering. Because sintering is a process in which P/M compacts obtain the strength and general properties required by a components specific function, most of the consideration in heating profile design is based on the sintering process while the complex nature of the debinding process is often ignored. This research has shown that common industrial heating rates can produce major defects in 316L MIM compacts when debinding in furnaces with poor temperature control. Because of this, Northeastern University in conjunction with Centorr/Vacuum Industries (CVI) has researched the formation of defects during debinding in order to more fully understand what triggers defect formation. This was accomplished using "in-situ" image analysis software which helped to correlate actual debinding images to temperatures and times in the heating profile of the compact. The hope is that ultimately, by knowing what types of temperature profile behavior can cause defects, furnace developers such as Centorr/Vacuum Industries can develop preventative feedback systems alerting them of conditions conducive to defect formation.