BASF releases new Catamold THOR feedstock for Metal Injection Moulding
BASF SE, Ludwigshafen, Germany, has added a new material to its Catamold® feedstock range for Metal Injection Moulding (MIM). Called THOR, this new material addition is a maraging ultra-high strength steel suited for parts that require the combination of strength and ductility/toughness.
Target applications include MIM hinges and other high-performance structural applications. MIM hinges are seeing widespread adoption in the consumer electronics industry, in particular for laptops and folding smartphones, where the unique combination of component complexity, high production volumes and demanding tolerances play into MIM technology’s strengths.
Typical properties of heat-treated parts are given as: density 7.7 g/cm3, yield strength RpO.2 1600 MPa, ultimate tensile strength Rm 1850 MPa, elongation A10 5%, and hardness 51 HRC or 530 HV10.
It is expected that Catamold THOR – which stands for Tough, Hard, Oriented, Resistant – will continue to drive the adoption of MIM into increasingly demanding applications.
