Abstract: A fine powder of metallic copper, suitable as a material for electroconductive pastes, and having a BET diameter of 3 ?m or less, large crystallite size, high dispersibility and particles of high sphericity and a process for producing the same. More specifically, a fine powder of metallic copper having a BET diameter of 3 ?m or less, particles of high sphericity and crystallites of 0.1 to 10 ?m in size, and more preferably containing oxygen at 0.3% by weight or less. Moreover, the fine powder of metallic copper can be produced stably and efficiently by blowing an ammonia-containing gas onto molten copper kept at 1120° C. More specifically, it can be produced more stably and efficiently by blowing ammonia at 0.015 L/minute or more per unit area (cm2) of the molten copper.

Abstract: A fine powder of metallic copper, suitable as a material for electroconductive pastes, and having a BET diameter of 3 &mgr;m or less, large crystallite size, high dispersibility and particles of high sphericity and a process for producing the same. More specifically, a fine powder of metallic copper having a BET diameter of 3 &mgr;m or less, particles of high sphericity and crystallites of 0.1 to 10 &mgr;m in size, and more preferably containing oxygen at 0.3% by weight or less. Moreover, the fine powder of metallic copper can be produced stably and efficiently by blowing an ammonia-containing gas onto molten copper kept at 1120° C. More specifically, it can be produced more stably and efficiently by blowing ammonia at 0.015 L/minute or more per unit area (cm2) of the molten copper.