A method for forming a compact from a powder, comprising: providing a mold apparatus for powder molding comprising a mold body with a through-hole for forming a side of a compact; a lower punch for fitting into the through-hole from beneath; an upper punch for fitting into the through-hole from above; a spray pump for spraying lubricant solution to the through-hole; a heater provided around a forming portion of the mold body, the forming portion being defined by the through-hole and the lower punch; and a temperature control system for controlling the temperature of the heater; applying with the spray pump a solution obtained by dissolving a lubricant in a solvent to the forming portion of the mold body; evaporating the solution thus applied to form a crystallized layer on the surface of the forming portion; filling the forming portion of the mold body with an Fe-based or Cu-based raw powder; and fitting the upper and lower punches into the forming portion, characterized in that the lubricant is at least one selected from the group consisting of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, trisodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, riboflavin sodium phosphate, potassium sulfate, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Food Blue No. 1, Food Yellow No. 5, sodium ascorbyl sulfate, sodium tetraborate, sodium silicate, sodium tungstate, sodium acetate, sodium benzoate, sodium ascorbate, sodium stearate, potassium stearate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate, and potassium nitrate, the solution has said lubricant completely dissolved in water into a uniform phase to have a concentration greater than or equal to a concentration at which the thickness of the crystallized layer is formed by one molecule of the lubricant, but less than the concentration of the saturated solution; the solution is applied to the forming portion of the mold body to allow crystals of the lubricant to be grown and form the crystallized layer; and the temperature of the heater is kept higher than the evaporating temperature of the solution and lower than the melting temperature of the lubricant. providing a mold apparatus for powder molding comprising a mold body with a through-hole for forming a side of a compact; a lower punch for fitting into the through-hole from beneath; an upper punch for fitting into the through-hole from above; a spray pump for spraying lubricant solution to the through-hole; a heater provided around a forming portion of the mold body, the forming portion being defined by the through-hole and the lower punch; and a temperature control system for controlling the temperature of the heater; a mold body with a through-hole for forming a side of a compact; a lower punch for fitting into the through-hole from beneath; an upper punch for fitting into the through-hole from above; a spray pump for spraying lubricant solution to the through-hole; a heater provided around a forming portion of the mold body, the forming portion being defined by the through-hole and the lower punch; and a temperature control system for controlling the temperature of the heater; applying with the spray pump a solution obtained by dissolving a lubricant in a solvent to the forming portion of the mold body; evaporating the solution thus applied to form a crystallized layer on the surface of the forming portion; filling the forming portion of the mold body with an Fe-based or Cu-based raw powder; and fitting the upper and lower punches into the forming portion, characterized in that the lubricant is at least one selected from the group consisting of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, trisodium phosphate, sodium polyphosphate, riboflavin sodium phosphate, potassium sulfate, sodium sulfite, sodium thiosulfate, sodium dodecyl sulfate, sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, Food Blue No. 1, Food Yellow No. 5, sodium ascorbyl sulfate, sodium tetraborate, sodium silicate, sodium tungstate, sodium acetate, sodium benzoate, sodium ascorbate, sodium stearate, potassium stearate, sodium hydrogen carbonate, sodium carbonate, and potassium nitrate, the solution has said lubricant completely dissolved in water into a uniform phase to have a concentration greater than or equal to a concentration at which the thickness of the crystallized layer is formed by one molecule of the lubricant, but less than the concentration of the saturated solution; the solution is applied to the forming portion of the mold body to allow crystals of the lubricant to be grown and form the crystallized layer; and the temperature of the heater is kept higher than the evaporating temperature of the solution and lower than the melting temperature of the lubricant.