Abstract: Active nickel powder is produced by reducing a feed material, containing one or more reducible nickel salts, such that when nickel chloride is present, the weight ratio of chloride to total nickel is greater than 0.1 and the reducible nickel salts have a surface area in excess of 1 m2/g, with a reducing gas containing preferably at least 20 volume per cent hydrogen, at a temperature preferably between 300° C. and 600° C., and when nickel chloride is not present, by adding hydrogen chloride directly to the reducing gas. The resulting active nickel powder can be rapidly converted into nickel carbonyl by reaction with a gas containing carbon monoxide preferably at atmospheric or super-atmospheric pressure, in the absence of conventional carbonylation catalysts.

Abstract: A method of producing a fine, low bulk density nickel powder, comprising a) charging particles of at least one reducible nickel salt within a furnace so as to form a moving bed of furnace charge, and b) reducing the furnace charge with a H2 containing gas at a temperature ranging from about 300° C. to about 500° C., the bed of furnace charge being moved gently so as to minimise formation of hard agglomerates and obtaining a fine, low bulk density nickel powder. A similar method, wherein the furnace charge is static and contained within a shallow bed.