Solvent Extraction Characterization on Injection Molding of Mg Alloy

The effect of the leaching time and temperature on the solvent debinding process of Mg metal injection molding (MIM) green part has been investigated. In this study, both soluble binder, paraffin wax and stearic acid molecules were removed from the Mg MIM green part by immersing compact parts in heptane solution. Then, the solvent debinding rate has been investigated under the conditions of different leaching time and temperature. The weight loss percentages of paraffin wax and stearic acid were calculated and the pores structure was analyzed by scanning electron micrograph. The efficient diffusivity and activation energy of the soluble binder have also been studied. Result shows that the removal of soluble binder at high temperature is the fastest, but there are defects observed on the Mg MIM body. It was found that the total amount of binder removal was 68.24 wt.%, 75.56 wt.%, and 84.92 wt.% for leaching temperature of 40 °C, 60 °C, and 80 °C, respectively. The remaining binder will be removed during first cycle of sintering process.