The present invention provides a method for producing spherical nickel-based metal powder. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the method for producing spherical nickel-based metal powder includes the steps of: providing a metal precursor, which includes nickel precursor, and a sulfur compound; introducing the metal precursor and the sulfur compound into a reactor; vaporizing the metal precursor and the sulfur compound within the reactor, and producing nickel-based metal powder containing sulfur through a reaction of the metal precursor and the sulfur compound with the reducing gas introduced into the reactor.

A metal powder having a BET specific surface area of 5 to 250 m.sup.2/g is obtained by contacting and mixing together a gas of a metal chloride (metal source gas) and a reducing gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) that have been separately heated so as to instantaneously form fine metal particles based on the gas phase reduction reaction thereof, and collecting the fine metal particles from the gas stream after the reaction.

A metal powder having a BET specific surface area of 5 to 250 m.sup.2/g is obtained by contacting and mixing together a gas of a metal chloride (metal source gas) and a reducing gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) that have been separately heated so as to instantaneously form fine metal particles based on the gas phase reduction reaction thereof, and collecting the fine metal particles from the gas stream after the reaction.

A metal powder having a BET specific surface area of 5 to 250 m.sup.2/g is obtained by contacting and mixing together a gas of a metal chloride (metal source gas) and a reducing gas (e.g., hydrogen gas) that have been separately heated so as to instantaneously form fine metal particles based on the gas phase reduction reaction thereof, and collecting the fine metal particles from the gas stream after the reaction.

In an example, the present invention provides a method for forming a film of material for a solid state battery or other energy storage device. The method includes providing a first precursor species, and providing a second precursor species. The method also includes transferring the first precursor species through a first nozzle and outputting the first precursor species in a first molecular form and transferring the second precursor species through a second nozzle and outputting the second precursor species in a second molecular form. The method includes causing formation of first plurality of particles, ranging from about first diameter to about a second diameter, by intermixing the first precursor species with the second precursor species. The method also includes cooling the first plurality of particles at a rate of greater than 100 C./s to a specified temperature.

In an example, the present invention provides a method for forming a film of material for a solid state battery or other energy storage device. The method includes providing a first precursor species, and providing a second precursor species. The method also includes transferring the first precursor species through a first nozzle and outputting the first precursor species in a first molecular form and transferring the second precursor species through a second nozzle and outputting the second precursor species in a second molecular form. The method includes causing formation of first plurality of particles, ranging from about first diameter to about a second diameter, by intermixing the first precursor species with the second precursor species. The method also includes cooling the first plurality of particles at a rate of greater than 100 C./s to a specified temperature.

In an example, the present invention provides a method for forming a film of material for a solid state battery or other energy storage device. The method includes providing a first precursor species, and providing a second precursor species. The method also includes transferring the first precursor species through a first nozzle and outputting the first precursor species in a first molecular form and transferring the second precursor species through a second nozzle and outputting the second precursor species in a second molecular form. The method includes causing formation of first plurality of particles, ranging from about first diameter to about a second diameter, by intermixing the first precursor species with the second precursor species. The method also includes cooling the first plurality of particles at a rate of greater than 100 C./s to a specified temperature.

A method of forming a conductive powder includes reducing, by a reduction reaction, a conductive powder precursor gas using a plasma. Reducing the conductive powder precursor gas forms the conductive powder. The method further includes filtering the conductive powder based on particle size. The method further includes dispersing a portion of the conductive powder having a particle size below a threshold value in a fluid.

A method for preparing an article of a base metal alloyed with an alloying element includes the steps of preparing a compound mixture by the steps of providing a chemically reducible nonmetallic base-metal precursor compound of a base metal, providing a chemically reducible nonmetallic alloying-element precursor compound of an alloying element, and thereafter mixing the base-metal precursor compound and the alloying-element precursor compound to form a compound mixture. The compound mixture is thereafter reduced to a metallic alloy, without melting the metallic alloy. The step of preparing or the step of chemically reducing includes the step of adding an other additive constituent. The metallic alloy is thereafter consolidated to produce a consolidated metallic article, without melting the metallic alloy and without melting the consolidated metallic article.

A method for preparing an article of a base metal alloyed with an alloying element includes the steps of preparing a compound mixture by the steps of providing a chemically reducible nonmetallic base-metal precursor compound of a base metal, providing a chemically reducible nonmetallic alloying-element precursor compound of an alloying element, and thereafter mixing the base-metal precursor compound and the alloying-element precursor compound to form a compound mixture. The compound mixture is thereafter reduced to a metallic alloy, without melting the metallic alloy. The step of preparing or the step of chemically reducing includes the step of adding an other additive constituent. The metallic alloy is thereafter consolidated to produce a consolidated metallic article, without melting the metallic alloy and without melting the consolidated metallic article.