Model experiment was introduced to obtain the formation of a core/rim structure by only liquid phase reaction in Ti(C, N)-based cermet alloys. Infiltrated Ti(C, N)-Ni, , and TaC-Ni cermets were bonded to sandwiched specimen by heat treatment for 5hr. With nitrogen addition, both (Ti, Mo) (C, N) and (Ti, Ta) (C, N) rim structure was nucleated around comer of cuboidal Ti(C, N) core. However, equilibrium shapes of(Ti, Mo) (C, N) and (Ti, Ta) (C, N) rim were different possibly due to the effect of interface energy. The core/rim and rim! binder interfaces were parallel to each other with TaC addition, while rotated to each other with addition.

TiC core/(Ti,Mo)C rim structure in TiC--Ni base cermet which is generally prepared by sintering below 145 had been believed to be generated by the solid diffusion of Mo atoms 1 into TiC grains (D. Moskowitz and M.Humenik, 1r.:1966). Afterward, it was clarified that the c core/rim structure is generated by solution/re-precipitation mechanism : (1) grains and s small TiC grains dissolve into the Ni liquid, (2) the dissolved Mo, Ti and C atoms migrate to the s surface of TiC coarse grains, (3) the Mo, Ti and C precipitate on the surface of TiC coarse g grains and form (Ti,Mo)C solid solution rim, and (4) the Ostwald ripening (grain growth by s solution/re-precipitation mechanism) of TiC-core/(Ti,Mo)-rim grains continues, and thus the w width of (Ti,Mo)C rim (at the same time, the grain size) increases with sintering time, etc. ( (H.Suzuki, K.Hayashi and O.Terada: 1973). The TiC-core was found not to disappear even by s sintering at 190 (ibid.: 1974) Recently, FeSi core/-rim structure in Fe-66.7at%Si thermoelectric aIloy was found to also h hardly shrink and disappear by long heating at an appropriate temperature (1999: M.Tajima and K K.hayashD. Then, the authors considered its cause, and clarified experimentaIly that the disappearance of FeSi-core/-rim structure could be attributed to the exhaustion of diffusion-contributable vacancies in core/rim structure (N.Taniguchi and K.Hayashi:2001). At p present, the authors and my coworker are investigating whether the non-disappearance of TiC c core can be explained also from the new hypothesis "Exhaustion of diffusion-contributable v vacancies in corelrim structure".ure".uot;.