Production of metal matrix composite part by powder injection molding

The application of powder injection molding (PIM) to metal matrix composites (MMCs) comprising of 316L stainless steel and TiC powders are presented. The processing steps are discussed and a suitable set of powder loading, mixing procedure, molding condition and debinding schedule was established. Defect-free parts were successfully produced. The effects of sintering parameters on the microhardness and density were studied. The addition of TiC improves the microhardness and density. Increasing the sintering temperature or heating rate also improve the above-mentioned properties.