METHOD OF MAKING A SILICON NITRIDE BODY

1. Process for the manufacture of a silicon nitride component in which a green shaped article formed substantially from silicon powder, at least 5% by weight silicon nitride powder, sintering auxiliaries and temporary melting agents and provided with a coating is together with its coating, first of all nitrided and then sintered in a single firing cycle in a furnace in the presence of nitrogen, characterised in that the coating is formed from silicon powder, oxidic sintering auxiliaries known _p_e_r _s_e and known parting agents, and the green shaped article coated in this manner is sintered until an outer layer of the coating positioned over a layer of parting agent is gas-tight, and then subjected to hot isostatic pressing after-treatment in order to compact the sintered shaped article.