A method includes forming an antimicrobial blend including an antimicrobial additive combined with a polymer, and forming a medical device with the antimicrobial blend, wherein a surface of the medical device exhibits antimicrobial properties.

This invention aims at providing a carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements. The carbon-coated metal powder can be obtained by melting and vaporizing a metallic raw material in a reaction vessel, conveying the generated metal vapor into a cooling tube and rapidly cooling the metal vapor by endothermically decomposing a carbon source supplied into the cooling tube, and forming a carbon coating film on metal nuclei surfaces in parallel with generation of the metal nuclei.

This invention aims at providing a carbon-coated metal powder having few impurities, a narrower particle size distribution, and sintering properties particularly suitable as a conductive powder of a conductive paste for forming internal conductors in a ceramic multilayer electronic component obtained by co-firing multilayered ceramic sheets and internal conductor layers; a conductive paste containing the carbon-coated metal powder; a multilayer electronic component using the conductive paste; and a method for manufacturing the carbon-coated metal powder. The carbon-coated metal powder has specific properties in TMA or ESCA measurements. The carbon-coated metal powder can be obtained by melting and vaporizing a metallic raw material in a reaction vessel, conveying the generated metal vapor into a cooling tube and rapidly cooling the metal vapor by endothermically decomposing a carbon source supplied into the cooling tube, and forming a carbon coating film on metal nuclei surfaces in parallel with generation of the metal nuclei.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrically conductive paste and a sintered body thereof having a low electric resistance value and excellent electrical conductivity when made into a sintered body. An electrically conductive paste comprising: a flake-like silver powder having a median diameter D50 of 15 μm or less; a silver powder having a median diameter D50 of 25 μm or more; and a solvent, wherein the content of the flake-like silver powder is 15 to 70 parts by mass and the content of the silver powder having a median diameter D50 of 25 μm or more is 30 to 85 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass in total of the flake-like silver powder and the silver powder having a median diameter D50 of 25 μm or more.

A ceramic circuit substrate having high bonding performance and excellent thermal cycling resistance properties, wherein a ceramic substrate and a copper plate are bonded by a braze material containing Ag and Cu, at least one active metal component selected from Ti and Zr, and at least one element selected from among In, Zn, Cd, and Sn, wherein a braze material layer, after bonding, has a continuity ratio of 80% or higher and a Vickers hardness of 60 to 85 Hv.

A timepiece component including a shaft-like portion including at least one pivot about a pivot axis, at least the material forming this shaft-like portion is a non-magnetic alloy containing at least silver and palladium and having a Vickers hardness of more than 450 HV.

A timepiece component including a shaft-like portion including at least one pivot about a pivot axis, at least the material forming this shaft-like portion is a non-magnetic alloy containing at least silver and palladium and having a Vickers hardness of more than 450 HV.

A sterling silver chain and method of manufacturing a sterling silver chain comprising a plurality of chain links. Each of the chain links can comprise a sterling silver wire, the sterling silver wire comprising a first end and a second end. Each of the first end and the second end of each of the plurality of chain links can be joined together through a weld. Each of the plurality of chain links can comprise at least 92.5% by weight silver and at least 6.5% by weight tin.

A sterling silver chain and method of manufacturing a sterling silver chain comprising a plurality of chain links. Each of the chain links can comprise a sterling silver wire, the sterling silver wire comprising a first end and a second end. Each of the first end and the second end of each of the plurality of chain links can be joined together through a weld. Each of the plurality of chain links can comprise at least 92.5% by weight silver and at least 6.5% by weight tin.

There are provided a spherical silver powder which has the same diameter as that of a spherical silver powder produced by a conventional wet reduction method and which can sufficiently sinter the silver particles thereof to cause the silver particles to be adhered to each other at a relatively low temperature to form a conductive film having a low volume resistivity when it is used for a baked type conductive paste, and a method for producing the same. A spherical silver powder, which contains a neutral or basic amino acid having a carbon number of not less than 5 in each of particles thereof and which has an average particle diameter D.sub.50 of 0.2 to 5 μm based on a laser diffraction method, is produced by adding the neutral or basic amino acid having the carbon number of not less than 5 (such as proline, tyrosine, tryptophan, phenylalanine, arginine or histidine) to a water reaction system containing silver ions to mix a reducing agent therewith to deposit silver particles by reduction.