To make sure of applicability of metal injection molding (MIM) to aluminium based materials, the sintering pure Al specimens of thin sheet were prepared fromthe compound consisted of Al powder and organic binder of metal injection molding: The effects of process conditions on the properties of sintered specimens were investigated.
First of all, the effcts of debinding and sintering atomosphere on the densities of sintered specimens were investigated. The density of the specimen debound in Ar gas was higher than that debound in air after sintering.
Therefore, the density depends on the sintering atomsphere. It also increases with increasing the degree of vacuum at sintering. The relative densities of the specimens debound in Ar gas and sintered at 650°C for 7.2ksec in vacumm of 10^-2Pa order were 86%, 90% and 96% when the average particle size were 20μm, 10μm and 3μm, respectively. The sintered pure aluminium compact, using 3μm powder, had the excellent tensile strength of 120MPa and elongation to fracture of 19% at room temperature.