This paper presents the additional effect of the fatty acid lubricants to the compound for metal injection molding. The compound consisted of SUS304L powder and the organic binder. The organic binders used here were polystyrene, atactic polypropyrene, polybutyl-methacrylate, paraffin wax, di-n-butyl phthalate and the lubricant. The results were summarized as follows:
For the addition of palmitic acid, myristic acid or lauric acid to the compound as the lubricant, there was no difference of the effect on the mixing and flowing behavior in comparison with stearic acid. The addition of methyl stearate or stearyl alcohol was less effective on both the mixing and flowing behavior than that of stearic acid. For the addition of nickel stearate to the compound, the effect on the flowing behavior was bigger than that on the mixing behavior. In the debinding and the sintering process, there was little difference for using any kind of fatty acid lubricants.
