Method of producing metal powder

A method of producing a metal powder including:

• a preparatory step of providing a metal chloride gas and a reducing gas;
• a gas phase reduction step in which said metal chloride gas and said reducing gas are contacted and mixed together so as to undergo a gas phase reduction reaction to form metal particles in a mixed gas stream formed by said metal gas and said reducing gas;
• and
• a collection step of obtaining a metal powder by collecting the metal particles from the gas stream after said gas phase reduction reaction;
• wherein,
• in said preparatory step, said metal chloride gas and said reducing gas are heated separately from each other, said metal chloride gas being maintained at a temperature lower than a thermal decomposition temperature of said metal chloride;
• in said preparatory step, a multiple tube is used, the metal chloride gas is fed into at least one tube of said multiple tube, and the reducing gas is fed into at least the other tube of said multiple tube such that said metal chloride gas and said reducing gas are separately heated in said multiple tube;
• in said gas phase reduction step, said metal chloride gas and said reducing gas are contacted together so that the temperature of the mixed gas of said metal chloride gas and said reducing gas becomes higher than a temperature at which said gas phase reduction reaction takes place;
• the metal powder obtained through said collection step has a BET specific surface area of 5 to 250 m2/g, and
• wherein said reducing gas is a hydrogen gas.