Abstract: Zinc oxide powder is prepared by a process having the following steps a) generating of a zinc vapor-containing stream in a vaporization zone; b) oxidizing the zinc vapor by reaction with an oxygen-containing gas thereby forming zinc oxide powder in an oxidation zone; and c) cooling of the reaction mixture with water or an inert gas, and separation of the zinc oxide powder in a cooling/isolation zone, wherein aa) in the vaporization zone, a gas stream of an inert gas and a fuel gas is passed through a zinc melt which has a temperature of 450 to <900° C., thereby forming zinc vapor, the content of fuel gas being 1 to 50 vol. %, based on the sum of inert gas and fuel gas, and the molar quotient of zinc vapor to fuel gas being 0.01 to 50, and bb) in the oxidation zone, a second gas stream, which contains an oxygen-containing gas and steam, is added to the gas stream of zinc vapor, fuel gas and inert gas in an amount such that the temperature in the oxidation zone is from 500 to 1100° C.