Method for preparing surface-modified nickel powder

Abstract

Herein disclosed is surface-modified nickel fine powder in which a precursor of barium titanate having a perovskite structure and consisting of a reaction product of a soluble titanium-containing compound and a soluble barium-containing compound is adhered to the surface of individual nickel fine particles, wherein the fine powder shows X-ray diffraction peaks of nickel and is free of any peak of barium titanate having a perovskite structure in the X-ray diffraction pattern determined by the X-ray diffraction method, but the fine powder shows X-ray diffraction peaks of both nickel and barium titanate having a perovskite structure in the X-ray diffraction pattern after the fine powder is subjected to a heat-treatment at a temperature of not less than 400° C. The nickel fine powder has a small heat shrinkage factor upon firing and improved resistance to oxidation. The powder permits the inhibition of any such phenomenon that nickel is oxidized and the oxidized nickel penetrates into a ceramic dielectric material during firing. The powder is suitable for use as a material for a conductive paste and, in particular, for forming a conductive paste used in making a multilayer ceramic capacitor.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.