Aspects relate to method of zinc-comprising nanowire fabrication, the method comprising forming a starting material comprising zinc metal or zinc metal alloy and at least one reactive metal, and exposing the starting material to one or more alcohols to obtain a reaction product comprising zinc-comprising nanowires, wherein the at least one reactive metal is more reactive than zinc to the one or more alcohols.

Aspects relate to method of zinc-comprising nanowire fabrication, the method comprising forming a starting material comprising zinc metal or zinc metal alloy and at least one reactive metal, and exposing the starting material to one or more alcohols to obtain a reaction product comprising zinc-comprising nanowires, wherein the at least one reactive metal is more reactive than zinc to the one or more alcohols.

Provided are an apparatus for manufacturing a compound powder, a method of manufacturing an iron-boron compound powder by using the apparatus, a boron alloy powder mixture, a method of manufacturing the boron alloy powder mixture, a combined powder structure, a method of manufacturing the combined powder structure, a steel pipe, and a method of manufacturing the steel pipe The method of manufacturing the boron alloy powder mixture includes: preparing a mixed powder including a boron iron alloy powder and a target powder; heat-treating the mixed powder to boronize at least a portion of the target powder and de-boronize at least a portion of the boron iron alloy powder, thereby de-boronizing the boron iron alloy powder to reduce the melting point of the boron iron alloy powder.

Provided are an apparatus for manufacturing a compound powder, a method of manufacturing an iron-boron compound powder by using the apparatus, a boron alloy powder mixture, a method of manufacturing the boron alloy powder mixture, a combined powder structure, a method of manufacturing the combined powder structure, a steel pipe, and a method of manufacturing the steel pipe The method of manufacturing the boron alloy powder mixture includes: preparing a mixed powder including a boron iron alloy powder and a target powder; heat-treating the mixed powder to boronize at least a portion of the target powder and de-boronize at least a portion of the boron iron alloy powder, thereby de-boronizing the boron iron alloy powder to reduce the melting point of the boron iron alloy powder.

A samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a value obtained by dividing the hydrogen content of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder by the BET specific surface area of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder is less than or equal to 400 ppm/(m.sup.2/g), and a value obtained by dividing the oxygen content of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder by the BET specific surface area of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder is less than or equal to 11,000 ppm/(m.sup.2/g).

A samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder according to one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that a value obtained by dividing the hydrogen content of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder by the BET specific surface area of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder is less than or equal to 400 ppm/(m.sup.2/g), and a value obtained by dividing the oxygen content of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder by the BET specific surface area of the samarium-iron-nitrogen alloy powder is less than or equal to 11,000 ppm/(m.sup.2/g).

Rare earth-containing alloy flakes and a sintered magnet made of the same are provided, which alloy flakes are useful in the production of sintered magnets of which Br and HcJ may be excellent and well-balanced according to the Dy and/or Tb content. The rare earth-containing alloy flakes are R-TM-A-M-type alloy flakes which have a particular composition, and a structure having a Nd.sub.2Fe.sub.14B main phase and a boundary phase, the Fe content in the boundary phase is not more than 10 mass %, and a ratio of the total content (b) of Dy and Tb in the boundary phase to the total content (a) of Dy and Tb in the main phase is higher than 1.0, and are useful as a sintered magnet material.

Rare earth-containing alloy flakes and a sintered magnet made of the same are provided, which alloy flakes are useful in the production of sintered magnets of which Br and HcJ may be excellent and well-balanced according to the Dy and/or Tb content. The rare earth-containing alloy flakes are R-TM-A-M-type alloy flakes which have a particular composition, and a structure having a Nd.sub.2Fe.sub.14B main phase and a boundary phase, the Fe content in the boundary phase is not more than 10 mass %, and a ratio of the total content (b) of Dy and Tb in the boundary phase to the total content (a) of Dy and Tb in the main phase is higher than 1.0, and are useful as a sintered magnet material.

An iron powder and method of making an iron powder. The method includes a step of neutralizing an acidic aqueous solution containing a trivalent iron ion and a phosphorus-containing ion, with an alkali aqueous solution, so as to provide a slurry of a precipitate of a hydrated oxide, or a step of adding a phosphorus-containing ion to a slurry containing a precipitate of a hydrated oxide obtained by neutralizing an acidic aqueous solution containing a trivalent iron ion with an alkali aqueous solution. A silane compound is added to the slurry so as to coat a hydrolysate of the silane compound on the precipitate of the hydrated oxide. The precipitate of the hydrated oxide after coating is recovered through solid-liquid separation, the recovered precipitate is heated to provide iron particles coated with a silicon oxide, and a part or the whole of the silicon oxide coating is dissolved and removed.

An iron powder and method of making an iron powder. The method includes a step of neutralizing an acidic aqueous solution containing a trivalent iron ion and a phosphorus-containing ion, with an alkali aqueous solution, so as to provide a slurry of a precipitate of a hydrated oxide, or a step of adding a phosphorus-containing ion to a slurry containing a precipitate of a hydrated oxide obtained by neutralizing an acidic aqueous solution containing a trivalent iron ion with an alkali aqueous solution. A silane compound is added to the slurry so as to coat a hydrolysate of the silane compound on the precipitate of the hydrated oxide. The precipitate of the hydrated oxide after coating is recovered through solid-liquid separation, the recovered precipitate is heated to provide iron particles coated with a silicon oxide, and a part or the whole of the silicon oxide coating is dissolved and removed.