METHOD FOR SINTERING AND FORMING SILICON NITRIDE-BASE CERAMICS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for sintering and forming silicon nitride-base ceramics by which a process for manufacturing a temporary sintered compact or a sintered compact can be eliminated. SOLUTION: When a sintered formed body of silicon nitride-base ceramics having excellent strength and/or toughness is manufactured, a powdery silicon nitride-base starting material is compacted to manufacture a green compact, this compact is subjected to sintering and forming while restraining a part of the compact and plastic flow is caused to at least a part of the compact to control the orientation direction of the grains of each part of the resultant sintered formed body to a prescribed direction.