Electrode for discharge surface treatment and manufacturing method therefor and discharge surface treatment method and device

An electrode for discharge surface treatment with which electrical discharge between the electrode and a workpiece is used to generate energy to form a coating on a surface of the workpiece, said electrode comprising:

• a hard material which is made from metal powder, powder of a metal compound, powder of a ceramic material or a combination of said powders,
• a binder having a lower melting temperature than said hard material;
• and
• wax;
• wherein said hard material is harder than said binder;
• wherein after said wax has been added to said hard material and said binder, forming is performed by compression, heating is performed to evaporate and remove said wax at a temperature at which said wax is melted but not decomposed or caused to soot, and then baking is performed at an incomplete-sintering temperature at which a portion of said binder is melted in order to partially fill gaps between particles of said hard material.

A method of manufacturing an electrode for discharge surface treatment with which electrical discharge between the electrode and a workpiece is used to generate energy to form a coating on a surface of the workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:

• mixing a hard material and a binder to form a mixture, wherein said hard material is made from metal powder, powder of a metal compound, powder of a ceramic material or a combination of said powders and said binder having a lower melting temperature than said hard material, wherein said hard material is harder than said binder;
• compressing said mixture to form an electrode;
• and
• baking said electrode at an incomplete-sintering temperature at which a portion said binder is melted in order to partially fill gaps between particles of said hard material.

A method of manufacturing an electrode for discharge surface treatment with which electrical discharge between the electrode and a workpiece is used to generate energy to form a coating on a surface of the workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:

• mixing a hard material and a binder to form a mixture, wherein said hard material is made from metal powder, powder of a metal compound, powder of a ceramic material or a combination of said powders and said binder having a lower melting temperature than said hard material, wherein said hard material is harder than said binder;
• adding wax to said mixture,
• compressing said mixture to form an electrode;
• and
• heating said electrode to evaporate and remove said wax at a temperature at which said wax is melted but not decomposed or caused to soot, and
• baking said electrode at an incomplete-sintering temperature at which a portion of said binder is melted in order to partially fill gaps between particles of said hard material.

A discharge surface treatment method with which electrical between an electrode and a workpiece is used to generate energy to form a coating on a surface of the workpiece, said method comprising the steps of:

• mixing a hard material and a binder to form a mixture, wherein said hard material is made from metal powder, powder of a metal compound, powder of a ceramic material or a combination of said powders and said binder having a lower melting temperature than said hard material, wherein said hard material is harder than said binder;
• compressing said mixture to form an electrode;
• and
• baking said electrode at an incomplete-sintering temperature at which a portion-said binder is melted in order to partially fill gaps between particles of said hard material;
• and
• causing arc discharge to occur between said electrode and said workpiece so that energy of said arc discharge is used to form the coating on the surface of said workpiece, wherein said arc discharge can be a intermittent arc discharge, a continuous arc discharge or combination of said continuous arc discharge and said intermittent arc discharge.

A discharge surface treatment apparatus for causing discharge to occur between an electrode and a workpiece is used to generate energy to form a coating on a surface of the workpiece, said discharge surface treatment apparatus comprising:

• discharge generating means for generating arc discharge between said electrode and said workpiece, wherein said arc discharge is intermittent arc discharge, continuous arc discharge or a combination of said continuous arc discharge and intermittent arc discharge;
• and
• wherein said electrode further comprises:
• a hard material which is made from metal powder, powder of a metal compound, powder of a ceramic material or a combination of said powders, and
• a binder having a lower melting temperature than said hard material;
• wherein said hard material is harder than said binder;
• wherein after said hard material has been formed by compression, baking is performed at an incomplete-sintering temperature at which a portion of the binder of said electrode is melted in order to partially fill gaps between particles of said hard material.