Rheological modeling of strontium ferrite feedstock for magnetic powder injection molding

Powder injection molding (PIM) is an important manufacturing technology for the net-shape production of metallic and ceramic components. PIM can also be a promising process for the mass production of magnetic parts. To mass produce magnetic components with complex shape and high performance through PIM, rheological behavior of the magnetic powder mixtures must be understood and characterized for various processing conditions. In the present study, we investigate the rheological behavior of strontium ferrite powder mixture affected by the shear rate, the temperatures, the external magnetic field, and the volume fraction of the powder. Several rheological models are employed to describe the shear viscosity of the mixture, which can be used for the design and optimization of the PIM process.