Abstract: Provided are copper microparticles which have exceptional oxidation resistance, in which oxidation is reduced even when the copper microparticles are held at a firing temperature in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, and in which sintering also occurs. The copper microparticles have a particle diameter of 10-100 nm, have a surface coating material, and are such that, after the copper microparticles are held for one hour at a temperature of 400° C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, the particle diameter exceeds 100 nm while a copper state is retained.

Abstract: A production method for silver fine particles retain capabilities such as conductivity and make it possible to form wiring at even lower temperatures; and silver fine particles. A silver fine particle production method in which silver powder is used to produce silver fine particles by means of a gas phase method. The silver fine particle production method has a step for supplying an organic acid to the silver fine particles. The gas phase method is, for example, a plasma method or a flame method. The silver fine particles have a surface coating that includes at least a carboxyl group.

Abstract: Provided are: a production method for silver fine particles that retain capabilities such as conductivity and make it possible to form wiring at even lower temperatures; and silver fine particles. A silver fine particle production method in which silver powder is used to produce silver fine particles by means of a gas phase method. The silver fine particle production method has a step for supplying an organic acid to the silver fine particles. The gas phase method is, for example, a plasma method or a flame method. The silver fine particles have a surface coating that includes at least a carboxyl group.

Abstract: Fine particles that can be sintered and grow to 100 nm or larger without oxidation even when retained at a baking temperature in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and that can suppress oxidation in a long-term preservation in the air or other oxygen-containing atmospheres, a method of producing the fine particles, and a method of producing fine particles that can suppress oxidation in a collecting process after the production of the fine particles. A fine particle production method for producing fine particles using feedstock powder by means of a gas-phase process includes a step of producing fine particle bodies by converting the feedstock powder into a mixture in a gas phase state using a gas-phase process and cooling the mixture in a gas phase state with a quenching gas containing an inert gas and a hydrocarbon gas having 4 or less carbon atoms, and a step of supplying an organic acid to the produced fine particle bodies.

Abstract: Provided is a fine particle production apparatus and a fine particle production method capable of easily obtaining surface treated fine particles. The fine particle production apparatus produces fine particles using feedstock by means of a gas-phase process. The apparatus includes a treatment section configured to transform the feedstock into a mixture in a gas phase state by means of the gas-phase process, a feedstock supply section configured to supply the feedstock to the treatment section, a cooling section configured to cool the mixture in a gas phase state in the treatment section using a quenching gas containing an inert gas, and a supply section configured to supply a surface treating agent to fine particle bodies in a temperature region in which the surface treating agent is not denatured, the fine particle bodies being produced by cooling the mixture in the gas phase state with the quenching gas.

Abstract: Provided are a fine particle production apparatus and a fine particle production method that can control the particle sizes of fine particles, and efficiently produce a large amount of fine particles having good particle size uniformity. The present invention comprises: a raw material supply unit which supplies raw materials for fine particle production into thermal plasma flame; a plasma torch in which the thermal plasma flame is generated, and which evaporates the raw material supplied by the raw material supply unit by means of the thermal plasma flame to form a mixture in a gas phase state; and a plasma generation unit which generates thermal plasma flame inside the plasma torch.

Abstract: A fine particle manufacturing apparatus and a fine particle manufacturing method are provided. The apparatus includes a raw material supply part supplying a raw material; a plasma torch in which the thermal plasma flame is generated and the raw material supplied by the raw material supply part is vaporized by using the thermal plasma flame to form a mixture in a gas phase state; and a plasma generation part generating the thermal plasma flame inside the plasma torch. The plasma generation part includes a first coil encircling the plasma torch; a second coil encircling the plasma torch and disposed below the first coil; a first power supply part supplying a high-frequency electric current to the first coil; and a second power supply part supplying an amplitude-modulated high-frequency electric current to the second coil. The first coil and the second coil are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the plasma torch.

Abstract: Provided are a fine particle manufacturing apparatus and a fine particle manufacturing method, which manufacture smaller fine particles. The fine particle manufacturing apparatus has: a raw material supply unit that supplies raw materials for producing fine particles into a thermal plasma flame; a plasma torch in which the thermal plasma flame is generated and the raw materials supplied by the raw material supply unit is evaporated by the thermal plasma flame to form a mixture in a gaseous state; a plasma generation unit that generates the thermal plasma flame inside the plasma torch; and a gas supply unit that supplies quenched gas to the thermal plasma flame, wherein the gas supply unit supplies the quenched gas with time modulation of the supply amount of the quenched gas.

Abstract: Provided are: a fine particle production method that makes it possible to control the acidity, i.e., a surface property, of fine particles; and fine particles. A fine particle production method in which a raw material powder is used to produce fine particles by means of a gas phase method. The fine particle production method has a step for supplying an organic acid to raw material fine particles. The gas phase method is, for example, a thermal plasma method or a flame method. The fine particles have a surface coating that includes at least a carboxyl group.

Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus capable of producing fine particles with favorable particle size distribution. In a production method in which feedstock for fine particle production is supplied intermittently into a modulated induction thermal plasma flame, the feedstock is vaporized to form a gas phase mixture, and the mixture is cooled to produce the fine particles: a modulated induction thermal plasma flame in which the temperature state is time-modulated is generated; the modulated induction thermal plasma flame is switched between a high temperature state and a low temperature state; and when the modulated induction thermal plasma flame is in the high temperature state, the feedstock is supplied together with a carrier gas, and when the modulated induction thermal plasma flame is in the low temperature state, supply of the feedstock is suspended and a gas of the same type as the carrier gas is supplied.

Abstract: Provided are copper microparticles which have exceptional oxidation resistance, in which oxidation is reduced even when the copper microparticles are held at a firing temperature in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, and in which sintering also occurs. The copper microparticles have a particle diameter of 10-100 nm, have a surface coating material, and are such that, after the copper microparticles are held for one hour at a temperature of 400° C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere, the particle diameter exceeds 100 nm while a copper state is retained.

Abstract: Provided are: a production method for silver fine particles that retain capabilities such as conductivity and make it possible to form wiring at even lower temperatures; and silver fine particles. A silver fine particle production method in which silver powder is used to produce silver fine particles by means of a gas phase method. The silver fine particle production method has a step for supplying an organic acid to the silver fine particles. The gas phase method is, for example, a plasma method or a flame method. The silver fine particles have a surface coating that includes at least a carboxyl group.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles, in which the degree of oxidation/reduction of substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles can be adjusted and which can produce high purity nano-sized substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles by dispersing substoichiometric titanium oxide (TiOx) fine particles, and especially titanium dioxide (TiO2), in a liquid substance containing a carbon source, adding water so as to form a slurry, forming the slurry into liquid droplets, supplying the liquid droplets to a hot plasma flame that does not contain oxygen, reacting titanium dioxide with carbon in a substance generated by the hot plasma flame so as to produce substoichiometric titanium oxide, and rapidly cooling the produced substoichiometric titanium oxide so as to produce substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles, in which the degree of oxidation/reduction of substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles can be adjusted and which can produce high purity nano-sized substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles by dispersing substoichiometric titanium oxide (TiOx) fine particles, and especially titanium dioxide (TiO2), in a liquid substance containing a carbon source, adding water so as to form a slurry, forming the slurry into liquid droplets, supplying the liquid droplets to a hot plasma flame that does not contain oxygen, reacting titanium dioxide with carbon in a substance generated by the hot plasma flame so as to produce substoichiometric titanium oxide, and rapidly cooling the produced substoichiometric titanium oxide so as to produce substoichiometric titanium oxide fine particles.

Abstract: In the present invention, a fine silver particle has a particle diameter of 65-80 nm and has, on the surface of the particle, a thin film comprising a hydrocarbon compound. The fine silver particle has an exothermic peal temperature of 140-155° C. in differential thermal analysis. If d denotes the particle diameter after firing at a temperature of 100° C. for one hour and D denotes the particle diameter before firing, it is preferable for the fine silver particle to have a particle growth rate, as represented by (d?D)/D (%), of 50% or higher.

Abstract: In the present invention, a fine silver particle has a particle diameter of 65-80 nm and has, on the surface of the particle, a thin film comprising a hydrocarbon compound. The fine silver particle has an exothermic peal temperature of 140-155° C. in differential thermal analysis. If d denotes the particle diameter after firing at a temperature of 100° C. for one hour and D denotes the particle diameter before firing, it is preferable for the fine silver particle to have a particle growth rate, as represented by (d?D)/D (%), of 50% or higher.