Method of manufacturing sintered body

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a sintered body includes a first process of forming a metal powder containing carbon into a compact having a predetermined shape and a second process of baking the compact in a hermetically sealed space so as to produce a sintered body. The hermetically sealed space has an atmosphere having a pressure of 60 kPa to 140 kPa and contains a hydrogen gas and an oxygen gas. The sum of partial pressures of the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas is not more than 3 Pa.

1 . A method of manufacturing a sintered body, the method comprising:
 forming a metal powder containing carbon into a compact having a predetermined shape; and   baking the compact in a hermetically sealed space so as to produce a sintered body, the hermetically sealed space having an atmosphere having a pressure of 60 kPa to 140 kPa and containing a hydrogen gas and an oxygen gas, a sum of partial pressures of the hydrogen gas and the oxygen gas being not more than 3 Pa.   
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the atmosphere of the hermetically sealed space primarily contains an inert gas. 
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the inert gas comprises an argon gas. 
   
   
       4 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder has an average particle diameter of 3 μm to 30 μm. 
   
   
       5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder has a carbon content of 0.05 atm % to 2 atm %. 
   
   
       6 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder is made of an Fe-based alloy material. 
   
   
       7 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the metal powder forming process comprises:
 forming a composition containing the metal powder and a binder into a predetermined shape so as to produce a primary compact; and   removing the binder from the primary compact so as to produce a secondary compact as the compact.   
   
   
       8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the forming process of the composition comprises metal injection molding of the composition to produce the primary compact. 
   
   
       9 . A sintered body manufactured by the method as recited in  claim 1 .