Feedstock forceramic fabrication via PIM by using water soluble organic binders

• Grant number: 20/05901-0
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: November 01, 2020
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Alberto Alves Cairo
• Grantee: Carlos Alberto Alves Cairo
• Company: Teccer Indústria e Comércio de Produtos Cerâmicos Ltda
• CNAE: Fabricação de produtos cerâmicos não-refratários não especificados anteriormente
• City: Cravinhos
• Associated research grant(s): 22/00812-4 - Feedstock for ceramic fabrication via PIM by using water soluble organic binders, AP.PIPE
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/01000-0 - Feedstock for ceramic fabrication via PIM by using water soluble organic binders, BP.PIPE

Abstract

Powder injection molding is a technology for manufacturing ceramic and metallic components of complex geometries, the shapes of which are not possible by other traditional manufacturing techniques. The success of this process depends on the use of a raw material, known as "feedstock", which has specific rheological properties only obtained with the temporary use of organic additives to give plasticity to the inorganic powder. However, the subsequent extraction of these additives in the injected part prior to sintering, is a vital processing step due to the complexity of the degradation and evaporation processes of the organic materials involved, which in the most used feedstocks must be eliminated by heating treatment. This step takes a long time, up to 15 days, and requires investments in a precise process control system and, as a rule, results in a very high loss rate due to swelling and cracks in the injected parts, with the consequent increase in production costs. The purpose of this project is to study the feasibility of producing a "feedstock", unavailable in the national market, using water-soluble polymers in its composition, in the hope of making production feasible and increasing the competitiveness of the national industry. The success of this project has the potential to lead a production solution for the development of the markets for injected ceramic and metallic products, still unexplored in the country, but which already shows strong demand for technology. The intended technology contemplates the development of a system composed of a primary binder + water-soluble binder + surfactant. In this system, the removal of the soluble binder occurs by dissolving it in water creating a network of interconnected channels that will facilitate the exit of insoluble binders in the sintering step. The entire process is completed in approximately 6 hours, in such a way that it will provide significant gains in production. (AU)