The present invention relates to silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles, with which surfaces of fine metal particles, composed of at least one type of metal element or metalloid element, are at least partially coated with a silicon compound and a ratio of Si—OH bonds contained in the silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles is controlled to be 0.1% or more and 70% or less. By the present invention, silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles that are controlled in dispersibility and other properties can be provided by controlling the ratio of Si—OH bonds or the ratio of Si—OH bonds/Si—O bonds contained in the silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles. By controlling the ratio of Si—OH bonds or the ratio of Si—OH bonds/Si—O bonds, a composition that is more appropriate for diversifying applications and targeted properties of silicon-compound-coated fine metal particles than was conventionally possible can be designed easily.

[Problem] To provide a silver nanowire ink that is capable of stably suppressing the decrease in conductivity of the silver nanowire conductive layer caused by coating a coating liquid for forming a transparent conductive layer.

[Solution] A silver nanowire ink containing a water soluble cellulose ether having a methoxy group, and silver nanowires, in an aqueous solvent, the water soluble cellulose ether having a mass proportion of a methoxy group of from 16.0 to 25.0%. Particularly preferred examples of the water soluble cellulose ether include HPMC having a mass proportion of a hydroxypropoxy group of 10.0% or less and HEMC having a mass proportion of a hydroxyethoxy group of 12.0% or less.

A powder including a plurality of particulates, each particulate including a soft magnetic metallic core coated with a continuous dielectric coating having a thickness selected from a range of 100 nanometers to 100 micrometers. The particulates have a mean particle size selected from a range of 100 nanometers to 250 micrometers. Methods for forming the powder are disclosed. A soft magnetic composite component includes a soft magnetic material in a dielectric matrix, wherein (i) the soft magnetic material comprises a plurality of particulates comprising metallic cores, (ii) each metallic core is coated by a continuous dielectric coating covering >90% of a surface area of the metallic core, (iii) the metallic cores are electrically isolated from each other, and (iv) the dielectric coatings of adjacent metallic cores are consolidated together. Methods for formation of the soft magnetic component by additive manufacturing and hot isostatic pressing are disclosed.

The present invention disclosed an efficient, continuous flow process for the synthesis metal nanowires by using a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTRs) in series for varying the aspect ratio of metal nanowires and nanorods formed by feeding affixed quantities of metal salt and polymeric surfactant with a reducing solvent like glycol to an axially mixed reactor.

A process for producing silicon nano-particles from a raw silicon material, the process including steps of alloying the raw silicon material with at least one alloying metal to form an alloy; thereafter, processing the alloy to form alloy nano-particles; and thereafter, distilling the alloying metal from the alloy nano-particles whereby silicon nano-particles are produced.

According to the present invention, provided is a method of producing silver nanoparticles including a mixing step of mixing a thermally decomposable silver compound, an amine compound having 5 or less carbon atoms, and a solvent including an organic solvent having a Log P.sub.OW of 2.0 to 4.0 at a temperature at which the silver compound and the amine compound chemically react; a first heating step of heating a mixed liquid obtained in the mixing step to a first temperature lower than a decomposition temperature of the silver compound; and a second heating step of heating the mixed liquid containing nuclei of the silver nanoparticles to a second temperature equal to or higher than a decomposition temperature of the silver compound.

A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.

A metal particle aggregate includes metal particles and an organic substance. The metal particles include first particles that contain one or both of silver and copper in an amount of 70% by mass or more relative to 100% by mass of all metals and have a particle diameter of 100 nm or more and less than 500 nm at a ratio of 20 to 30% by number, and include second particles that have a particle diameter of 50 nm or more and less than 100 nm, and third particles that have a particle diameter of less than 50 nm at a ratio of 80 to 70% by number in total. Surfaces of the first to third particles are covered with the same protective film.

A process for producing silicon nano-particles from a raw silicon material, the process including steps of alloying the raw silicon material with at least one alloying metal to form an alloy; thereafter, processing the alloy to form alloy nano-particles; and thereafter, distilling the alloying metal from the alloy nano-particles whereby silicon nano-particles are produced.

A bonded soft magnet object comprising bonded soft magnetic particles of an iron-containing alloy having a soft magnet characteristic, wherein the bonded soft magnetic particles have a particle size of at least 200 nm and up to 100 microns. Also described herein is a method for producing the bonded soft magnet by indirect additive manufacturing (IAM), such as by: (i) producing a soft magnet preform by bonding soft magnetic particles with an organic binder, wherein the magnetic particles have an iron-containing alloy composition with a soft magnet characteristic, and wherein the particles of the soft magnet material have a particle size of at least 200 nm and up to 100 microns; (ii) subjecting the preform to an elevated temperature sufficient to remove the organic binder to produce a binder-free preform; and (iii) sintering the binder-free preform at a further elevated temperature to produce the bonded soft magnet.