What are the commonly referred to plastics used in metal injection molding?

MIM plastic is a special polymer material that plays an important role in the metal injection molding process. Although these plastics only exist as temporary carrier materials, they are crucial for the successful implementation of MIM processes. During metal injection molding, these plastic materials mix metal powder with additives to form preforms or "green bodies" of the desired shape. These prefabricated materials are then sintered, tightly binding the metal particles together to form the final metal parts.
So, what is MIM plastic commonly referred to as? There is no unified answer to this question, as different manufacturers and professionals may use different terminology to describe these materials. However, common terms in the industry include MIM Binder, Feedstock Binder, or Feedstock Polymer, among others. These terms all refer to plastic materials used in metal injection molding processes.
The selection of MIM plastics is based on the required final part performance and process requirements. Usually, these plastic materials need to have certain adhesive properties to ensure that the metal powder can be uniformly mixed and maintain the desired shape during the injection molding process. At the same time, they also need to be stable at high temperatures in order to maintain structural stability during the sintering process and be completely burned or removed in the final part without leaving any residue.
In the selection process of MIM plastics, manufacturers usually consider the following factors:
Adhesive performance: Plastics need to be able to effectively bond metal powders together to form prefabricated materials with certain strength and shape.
Sintering performance: Plastics need to be stable at high temperatures to ensure that they do not decompose or burn out during the sintering process, and can be completely removed without leaving any residue.
Liquidity: Plastic needs to have good fluidity in order to fill various small cavities in the mold during injection molding, maintaining the desired shape and size.
Cost effectiveness: The selection of MIM plastics also needs to consider its cost-effectiveness, including raw material costs, processing costs, and subsequent processing costs.