Abstract: The spheroidized hard material powders are produced by introducing a finely ground basic mixture of hard material into a thermal, inductively coupled high-frequency plasma so that at the same time a chemical conversion reaction to form an alloy and/or chemical reaction and spheroidization of the particles in the plasma take place. The hard material mixture may be powder, granules, or a suspension or any combination thereof. Hence, a mixture consisting of MexMy, wherein Me is a metal and M is a metalloid so that different metals and metalloids may be combined in the required metal-metalloid ratio is injected axially into an inductively coupled, high-frequency plasma with the aid of a carrier gas stream. The spheroidized hard material powder has excellent suitability for protection against wear.