PURPOSE: To obtain a sintered compact excellent in strength, hardness, wear and shock resistances by directly forming a metal carbide forming the cermet of a diamond dispersed cermet composite sintered compact from metal powder and diamond particles during sintering.

CONSTITUTION: When a sintered compact consisting of 10-60vol.% diamond particles and 30-88vol.% matrix phase contg. carbides of one or more of the groups IVa, Va and VIa metals of the Periodic Table is produced, a mixture of diamond particles with metal powders of one or more of the groups IVa, Va and VIa metals and metal powders of one or more among Fe, Co and Ni is press-fired. The diamond powder and the metal powders of one or more of the groups IVa, Va and VIa metals cause a solid phase reaction under heating and pressing, carbides of the metals are formed as reactional products in the resultant sintered compact and the objective dense composite contg. diamond particles uniformly dispersed in a cermet structure is obtd. even under such a low pressure as to give an unstable region of diamond.