Patent ID: 7615185

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a multicomponent ceramics powder comprising, as constituent elements, at least two metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ti, Al, V, Nb, Zr, Hf, Mo, Ta, Cr, W, and N comprising the steps of: molding a powder containing a powder of a first substance comprising either one of Ti, Al, V, Nb, Zr, Hf, Mo, Ta, Cr, and W as a constituent element, into a molded body; heating said molded body, which is being held in contact with a second substance comprising, as a constituent element, a metal element which is either one of Ti, Al, V, Nb, Zr, Hf, Mo, Ta, Cr, and W and which is not contained in the powder of said first substance, in an atmosphere in which N is present, to diffuse the metal element as the constituent element of said second substance into said first substance and to compound the constituent element of said first substance with N, for thereby turning said molded body into a porous sintered body of multicomponent ceramics containing, as constituent elements, the metal element of said first substance, the metal element of said second substance, and N; and crushing said porous sintered body to turn said multicomponent ceramics into a powder.