Thermal debinding modeling of mass transport and deformation in powder-injection molding compact

A two-dimensional model of mass transport and deformation in thermal debinding for the powder-injection molding (PIM) compact, based on mass and heat transfer in deformable porous media and elasticity theory, is proposed. The primary mechanisms of mass transport, i.e., liquid flow, gas flow, vapor diffusion, and convection, as well as heat transfer, polymer pyrolysis, powder-particle packing, compact deformation, and their interactions are simultaneously included in the model. A computer code, in which integrated control-volume finite-difference and finite-element methods are employed, is developed to simulate the process. The simulated results revealed that the nonuniform distribution of polymer residue, which results from the nonuniform flow of the polymer, causes the nonuniform deformation in the compact. Severe nonuniform deformation in the compact might lead to cracking, distortion, and failure of the compact during the polymer-removal process.