Provided are silver particles including a silver powder and a silver layer that includes primary particles, the primary particles being smaller than the silver powder.

There is provided a silver powder which has a small average particle diameter and a small thermal shrinkage percentage, and a method for producing the same. While a molten metal of silver heated to a temperature (1292 to 1692° C.), which is higher than the melting point (962° C.) of silver by 330 to 730° C., is allowed to drop, a high-pressure water is sprayed onto the molten metal of silver (preferably at a water pressure of 90 to 160 MPa) to rapidly cool and solidify the molten metal of silver to powderize silver to produce a silver powder which has an average particle diameter of 1 to 6 μm and a shrinkage percentage of not greater than 8% (preferably not greater than 7%) at 500° C., the product of the average particle diameter by the shrinkage percentage at 500° C. being 1 to 11 μm.Math.% (preferably 1.5 to 10.5 μm.Math.%).

There is provided a silver powder which has a small average particle diameter and a small thermal shrinkage percentage, and a method for producing the same. While a molten metal of silver heated to a temperature (1292 to 1692° C.), which is higher than the melting point (962° C.) of silver by 330 to 730° C., is allowed to drop, a high-pressure water is sprayed onto the molten metal of silver (preferably at a water pressure of 90 to 160 MPa) to rapidly cool and solidify the molten metal of silver to powderize silver to produce a silver powder which has an average particle diameter of 1 to 6 μm and a shrinkage percentage of not greater than 8% (preferably not greater than 7%) at 500° C., the product of the average particle diameter by the shrinkage percentage at 500° C. being 1 to 11 μm.Math.% (preferably 1.5 to 10.5 μm.Math.%).

A silver powder mixture that is suitable for forming a conductive film on a surface of a member having stretchability, a method for producing the same, and a conductive paste using the silver powder mixture is provided. A silver powder mixture containing filamentous silver powder including spherical and filamentous parts and flaky silver powder having an average particle diameter of 1 μm or more and 50 μm or less and an aspect ratio, which is defined by a ratio of an average long diameter and an average thickness, of 1.5 or more is obtained by adding one kind or two or more kinds of a salt of copper and aluminum and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid to a silver nitrate aqueous solution, for 60 seconds or more, and then adding a reducing agent containing one kind or two or more kinds of L-ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, and salts thereof.

A contact material mainly composed of an Ag alloy, includes: an Ag alloy; and at least one main additive existing as a phase different from the Ag alloy and selected from the group consisting of tin oxide, nickel, nickel oxide, iron, iron oxide, tungsten, tungsten carbide, tungsten oxide, zinc oxide, and carbon, wherein when a metal atom constituting the main additive or the main additive is carbon, the Ag alloy contains a solid solution element having a vacancy binding energy lower than a vacancy binding energy that is a binding energy between the metal atom included in the main additive and a vacancy in an Ag metal, or a binding energy between carbon included in the main additive of carbon and a vacancy in an Ag metal, in an amount of 0.01 wt. % or more.

A contact material mainly composed of an Ag alloy, includes: an Ag alloy; and at least one main additive existing as a phase different from the Ag alloy and selected from the group consisting of tin oxide, nickel, nickel oxide, iron, iron oxide, tungsten, tungsten carbide, tungsten oxide, zinc oxide, and carbon, wherein when a metal atom constituting the main additive or the main additive is carbon, the Ag alloy contains a solid solution element having a vacancy binding energy lower than a vacancy binding energy that is a binding energy between the metal atom included in the main additive and a vacancy in an Ag metal, or a binding energy between carbon included in the main additive of carbon and a vacancy in an Ag metal, in an amount of 0.01 wt. % or more.

The invention is directed to a composition of metal particles and methods of manufacturing and using the composition in the treatment of microbial infections and cancer. The particles can be nanoparticles having coupled thereto at least one of a surfactant, an antibiotic, and a drug. The particles of the invention achieve enhanced stability, enhanced cytotoxicity, and enhanced antimicrobial activity through novel combinations of metals, surfactants, antibiotics, and drugs.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording head comprises a near-field transducer (NFT). The NFT comprises a thermally-stabilized plasmonic alloy, wherein the thermally-stabilized plasmonic alloy comprises a plasmonic metal and at least one alloying metal.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording head comprises a near-field transducer (NFT). The NFT comprises a thermally-stabilized plasmonic alloy, wherein the thermally-stabilized plasmonic alloy comprises a plasmonic metal and at least one alloying metal.

According to one embodiment, when a DSC curve is measured using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) for a brazing material for bonding a ceramic substrate and a metal plate, the brazing material has an endothermic peak within a range of not less than 550° C. and not more than 700° C. in a heating process. The brazing material favorably includes Ag, Cu, and Ti. The brazing material favorably has not less than two of the endothermic peaks within a range of not less than 550° C. and not more than 650° C. in the heating process.