DEVELOPMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF INCONEL-BASED MIXTURES FOR METAL INJECTION MOLDING APPLICATIONS

In this paper, the development of a new mixture, called feedstock, based on nickel super-alloys for Metal Injection Molding (MIM) is presented. This feedstock, which will be used to obtain metallic parts for the aeronautic industry, is a mixture of the appropriate, environmentally friendly polymers and metallic powders. Many scientific problems should be taken into account. For example, it requires tight control of the process to achieve the strict chemical and physical properties, because of the application in aeronautic industry. Another difficulty is the large dimension and functional requirement of manufactured components, which subject to the high mechanical and thermal constraints. Additionally, the use of a biodegradable polymer makes the process more delicate because of its thermo-physical properties.