Influence of carnauba wax in the feedstock rheology used in low-pressure injection molding

The low-pressure injection molding (LPIM) has some advantages over other methods of forming ceramic parts with complex shapes. Among the advantages are the lower costs in the production of small and medium lots and less wear of molds and equipment. In this work, the effect of an organic additive used in LPIM been studied, carnauba wax, on the rheology of the mixture (feedstock). The ceramic powder used was alumina with particle size of about 0.4 micrometers. With additions of 5wt% and 10wt% of carnauba wax in the organic vehicle, viscosity decreases significantly, being much more pronounced at 10%, while above this value (15%), the viscosity decrease, but this reduction is less pronounced. In contrast, in feedstock without carnauba wax (0%), the viscosity is so high that the injection almost impossible at low pressures.

low-pressure injection molding; alumina; carnauba wax; rheology