The cathode member for electron beam generation of the present disclosure includes: 95% by area or more of a single phase or two phases of a compound composed of iridium and cerium. A total content of one or more subcomponents of metallic iridium and an oxide of one or more elements of iridium and cerium is 5% by area or less of the cathode member.

Provided is a sputtering target which can lower a heat treatment temperature for ordering a Fe—Pt magnetic phase and can suppress generation of particles during sputtering. The sputtering target is a nonmagnetic material-dispersed sputtering target containing Fe, Pt and Ge. The sputtering target includes at least one magnetic phase satisfying a composition represented by (Fe.sub.1-αPt.sub.α).sub.1-βGe.sub.β, as expressed in an atomic ratio for Fe, Pt and Ge, in which α and β represent numbers meeting 0.35≤α≤0.55 and 0.05≤β≤0.2, respectively. The magnetic phase has a ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) of 0.5 or less. The ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) is an average area ratio of Ge-based alloy phases containing a Ge concentration of 30% by mass or more (S.sub.Ge30mass %) to an area ratio of Ge (S.sub.Ge) calculated from the entire composition of the sputtering target, in element mapping by EPMA of a polished surface obtained by polishing a cross section perpendicular to a sputtering surface of the sputtering target.

Provided is a sputtering target which can lower a heat treatment temperature for ordering a Fe—Pt magnetic phase and can suppress generation of particles during sputtering. The sputtering target is a nonmagnetic material-dispersed sputtering target containing Fe, Pt and Ge. The sputtering target includes at least one magnetic phase satisfying a composition represented by (Fe.sub.1-αPt.sub.α).sub.1-βGe.sub.β, as expressed in an atomic ratio for Fe, Pt and Ge, in which α and β represent numbers meeting 0.35≤α≤0.55 and 0.05≤β≤0.2, respectively. The magnetic phase has a ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) of 0.5 or less. The ratio (S.sub.Ge30mass %/S.sub.Ge) is an average area ratio of Ge-based alloy phases containing a Ge concentration of 30% by mass or more (S.sub.Ge30mass %) to an area ratio of Ge (S.sub.Ge) calculated from the entire composition of the sputtering target, in element mapping by EPMA of a polished surface obtained by polishing a cross section perpendicular to a sputtering surface of the sputtering target.

A method is provided for producing a silver powder which has a smaller particle size distribution than the conventional one without changing the type of surface treatment agent, and also for enabling a low resistance when the silver powder is made into a paste to form an electrode. The method for producing a silver powder includes adding an O/W-type emulsion containing micelles of a surface treatment agent having a volume-based cumulative 50% particle diameter D.sub.50 obtained by a laser diffraction particle size distribution analysis of 1.5 μm or less to a slurry of a silver powder. The dispersibility of the silver powder in the slurry containing the silver powder is then improved.

A method of surface modification of a metal or metal alloy powder includes the steps of providing a metal or metal alloy powder including copper, gold, or silver and having an average diameter in the micron range; providing a powder having an alloying element to form an alloying element powder. The alloying element powder particles have an average diameter less than 10 micron and no more than half the average diameter of the metal or metal alloy powder particles; mixing the powders to form a mixed powder; heating the mixed powder in an atmosphere of reducing gas to a first temperature T1; after temperature T1 is reached, replacing the reducing gas atmosphere with an inert gas atmosphere and maintaining the temperature at a second temperature T2 for a predetermined time. The alloying element is capable of diffusing in the metal or metal alloy element at temperature T2.

A DC high-voltage relay with at least one contact pair including a movable contact and a fixed contact, the contact pair having a contact force and/or an opening force of 100 gf or more, having a rated voltage of 48 V or more, the movable contact and/or the fixed contact includes a Ag oxide-based contact material. Metal components contain at least one metal M essentially containing Zn, and a balance being Ag and inevitable impurity metals, and the contact material has a content of the metal M of 0.2% by mass or more and 8% by mass or less based on a total mass. The contact material has a material structure in which one or more oxides of the metal M having an average particle size of 0.01 μm or more and 0.4 μm or less are dispersed in a matrix including Ag or a Ag alloy.

Composite particles sinterable at a low temperature and allow forming a sintered body that exhibits a large extension are provided. The composite particles include microparticles having an average crystallite diameter of 0.6 to 10 μm and containing a metal, and nanoparticles adhered to a surface of the microparticle, having an average crystallite diameter of 3 to 100 nm, and containing a metal of a same kind as the metal contained in the microparticle.

Composite particles sinterable at a low temperature and allow forming a sintered body that exhibits a large extension are provided. The composite particles include microparticles having an average crystallite diameter of 0.6 to 10 μm and containing a metal, and nanoparticles adhered to a surface of the microparticle, having an average crystallite diameter of 3 to 100 nm, and containing a metal of a same kind as the metal contained in the microparticle.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a powder material and an application thereof. The preparation method includes: obtaining an initial alloy ribbon including a matrix phase and a dispersed particle phase by solidifying an alloy melt, and then removing the matrix phase in the initial alloy ribbon while retaining the dispersed particle phase, so as to obtain a powder material composed of original dispersed particle phase. The preparation method of the present disclosure is simple in process and can prepare multiple powder materials of nano-level, sub-micron-level and micro-level. The powder materials have good application prospects in the fields such as catalytic materials, powder metallurgy, composite materials, wave-absorbing materials, sterilization materials, metal injection molding, 3D printing and coating.

The present disclosure provides a method for preparing a powder material and an application thereof. The preparation method includes: obtaining an initial alloy ribbon including a matrix phase and a dispersed particle phase by solidifying an alloy melt, and then removing the matrix phase in the initial alloy ribbon while retaining the dispersed particle phase, so as to obtain a powder material composed of original dispersed particle phase. The preparation method of the present disclosure is simple in process and can prepare multiple powder materials of nano-level, sub-micron-level and micro-level. The powder materials have good application prospects in the fields such as catalytic materials, powder metallurgy, composite materials, wave-absorbing materials, sterilization materials, metal injection molding, 3D printing and coating.