Powder Injection Molding for Large Military Components

Powder injection molding (PIM) is a new technology that uses the shaping advantages of plastic injection molding but expands its applications to advanced materials such as metals, alloys, and ceramics. These advanced materials have potential applicationsboth in the military and commercial sector. The applications of PIM in the military area have been limited due to the inability of the process to produce in an environmentally friendly manner, large components using inexpensive tooling materials. Thecurrent project will explore a novel medium pressure injection molding (MPIM) machine in conjunction with either a water based binder extraction system or a supercritical gas phase binder extraction process, that will be able to produce large and complexshaped parts in an environmentally friendly manner. The concept of MPIM, which uses significantly lower injection pressures compared to conventional machines, will also allow the use of low cost tooling material for producing large and complex shapedparts. The process will be developed using a 17-4 PH stainless steel alloy that has dual use. Later the concept will be expanded to submicron or nano-sized powders. Success in this project will open up new horizons for the PIM industry that has numerousapplications for large components.The success in this project will provide DoD with a novel technology for fabricating large complex shaped military components in an environmentally friendly manner. The process developed will have tremendous impact inthe commercial PIM arena as it will expand the ability of the PIM process to produce large components in a cost effective manner by using low cost tooling materials. This advantage will be extensively utilized by both the defense (projectile fins, shapecharges, EFP's, warhead liners, gun parts, grenade shells, etc.) sector and the commercial (automotive, medical, business machines, hand tools, textile machines, aerospace, etc.) sector.