Abstract: A method and apparatus for making carbon-encapsulated ultrafine metal particles, in which metal powder intended for encapsulation is injected at a rate up to 25 grams per minutes into a plasma arc so that the metal powder is vaporized. The vaporized metal powder is then mixed with an active gas flow, which consists of hydrocarbons, filled in the surrounding area of the plasma arc, and thereby the vaporized metal powder and the active gas interact continuously producing carbon encapsulated ultrafine metal particles that are remarkably predictable in particle size, distribution of sizes and atomic composition.

Abstract: An ultrafine particle copper, tin, nickel, zinc lubricant with a surface area of from 5 to 70 m.sup.2 /g and a particle size of from about 0.01 to about 0.5 .mu.m. The powder dispersed in a carrier to form a dispersion stabilized by Brownian movement.