Processes for preparation of oxidation resistant metal powders

A process for treating the surfaces of objects coated with surface layers of nonconductive metal compounds to render said surfaces electrically conductive and oxidation resistant, said objects containing a metal selected from the group consisting of copper, nickel, cobalt, silver and palladium, said process comprising the steps of:

• (a) heating said surfaces of objects in the presence of a reagent composition consisting essentially of:
• (i) an organic amine compound having at least one group carrying a coordinative functional substituent selected from the group consisting of amino, hydroxy, carboxy and mercapto groups, with the amine nitrogen atom and the functional substituent being separated by from two to six other atoms, and
• (ii) at least one phenolic compound represented by the formula ##STR1## wherein n is an integer having a value from 0 to 4 and each R independently represents an organic radical selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted, straight and branched alkyl and alkenyl groups, acid groups, aldehyde groups, ester groups, ether groups, amino groups and amido groups, wherein said heating takes place at a temperature and a time duration sufficient to reduce substantially all oxides of metals which are present in the surface layer thereby rendering said surfaces of the objects electrically conductive and oxidation resistant;
• and
• (b) separating said objects from the reagent composition and the resulting reaction products formed after heating in step (a).