Debinding Oven
Catalytic debinding oven for die casting of metallic and ceramic products.
Die casting of ceramics and metal (PIM and CIM) is a fast growing production technology to produce complex products relatively simpel and cheap. ECN has, together with the former National Ceramics Atelier, contributed strongly to the development and distribution of this technology.
The removal - heating out or debinding - of the synthetic material which is being used as a binder to mold products in a mould, is the most important quality determining step in the process. A good method is catalytic 'cracking' of the polymer to remove it fast and without damaging the product. ECN has developed a controlled oven in which, with a dosingpump, minimal quantities of nitric acid are being added.
Because the gasmixture would fiercly react with oxygen, the debinding has to take place in an environment that is rinsed with nitrogen. The whole oven is of course carried out explosion safe. A powerfull hot nitrogen flow secures a homogeneous temperature in the oven and a homogeneous 'debinding'. By fast heating, active cooling and a process control which takes the loading degree into account, the cycle time is very short. The oven has, because of the logistics, the same dimensions as the sintering ovens, which are used in the following process steps.
The debinding oven is, among others, successfully in opeaterion at Formatec in Goirle, The Netherlands, a company that is specialised in producing high quality ceramic components with die casting technology.
