Recent advances in CIM technology

In this article the PIM (Powder Injection Moulding) technology is described in brief. After that the benefits and advantages were analyzed and summarized. Ceramic injection moulding (CIM) process was analyzed in more detail: CIM- alumina, CIM-zirconia and CIM ferrites as the most common technical ceramics in CIM ceramic parts production, medical applications and accessories in chemical laboratories, and cores in electronic inductive components. After that our results for CIM barium hexaferrite and piezo ceramics (barium titanate) are given. The main powder characteristics, the shrinkage and density and the main electrical characteristics of the sintered samples were compared for the isostatically pressed PM (powder metallurgy) and CIM formed samples. SEM fractographs of CIM and PM samples are given for CIM green parts, debinded (white) parts and sintered parts, and PM green parts and sintered parts. The results obtained were compared to literature data before they were applied in ceramic components production.