Fabrication and sintering behavior of high-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steels by metal injection molding

High-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steels were fabricated by the metal injection molding technique using high nitrogen alloying powders and a mixture of three polymers as binders. Mixtures of metal powders and binders with various proportions were also investigated, and an optimum powder loading capacity was determined as 64vol%. Intact injection molded compacts were successfully obtained by regulating the processing parameters. The debinding process for molded compacts was optimized with a combination of thermo-gravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry analysis. An optimum relative density and nitrogen content of the specimens are obtained at 1360℃, which are 97.8% and 0.79wt%, respectively.