Metal injection molding, or MIM, is a relatively new subset of powdered metallurgy where metals are atomized to a very fine powder, mixed with a binder, molded in a similar fashion to polymers, then de-bound and sintered to full density.
As such, close to the entire industry of powdered metallurgic materials can be MIM-ed net or near-net shape with extremely high material utilization (<98%), precision, and repeatability. Examples of metals PTI regularly MIM’s:
Low Alloy Steels:
- 4140, 4340, 4605, 100Cr6, 8620
Stainless Steels:
- 17-4 PH, 316L, 440, 420, 410
Nickel Based Super Alloys:
- Hastelloy X, Inconel, Waspaloy
Refractory & Specialty Metals:
- Tungsten, Titanium, Tantalum