Method for manufacturing a porous material or a composite sintered product comprising zirconium oxide and a carbide

A method for manufacturing a composite sintered product comprising zirconium oxide and a metal carbide, comprising

• mixing a zirconium alloy powder, a metal oxide powder and a carbon powder, wherein the zirconium alloy is an alloy or zirconium and aluminum, yttrium or magnesium;
• shaping the mixture in a desired form;
• and
• igniting, under molding compression pressure, a portion of the shaped mixture in an atmosphere which is inert to the combustion of the shaped mixture so that the combustion reaction starts in the portion of the mixture and continues throughout the shaped mixture by the heat of the reaction, whereby the zirconium alloy powder is converted to a solution comprising zirconia and the metal oxide powder is converted to a metal carbide throughout the shaped mixture to attain a sintered product substantially made of the zirconia solid solution and the metal carbide.