Ultrafine metal powders

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF UNIFORM SUBMICRON POWDERS OF A METAL SELECTED FROM GROUP VIB AND THE FERROUS METALS OF GROUP VIII, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING INTRODUCING HYDROGEN, WATER VAPOR AND A HALIDE VAPOR OF THE SELECTED METAL INTO A REACTION ZONE LOCATED WITHIN A REACTOR AND SPACED AWAY FROM ALL SURFACES THEREOF; SPONTANEOUSLY REACTING SAID HALIDE CAPOR WITH THE HYDROGEN AND WATER VAPOR ONLY IN SAID REACTION ZONE TO FORM SUB-MICRON PARTICLES OF A SUB-OXIDE OF THE SELECTED METAL OUT OF CONTACT WITH ALL SURFACES OF THE REACTOR; RAPIDLY REMOVING THE THUS FORMED SUB-MICRON SUB-OXIDE PARTICLES FROM CONTACT WITH THE REACTING MATERIALS; SUBJECTING THE PRODUCED SUB-MICRON PARTICLES TO A TEMPERATURE WHICH LIMITS PARTICLE GRAIN GROWTH TO A PREDETERMINED SUB-MICRON SIZE; AND SUBSEQUENTLY COLLECTING THE SUB-OXIDE PARTICLES AND REDUCING THE SUB-OXIDE PARTICLES WITH HYDROGEN GAS AT A TEMPERATURE WHICH LIMITS THE GRAIN GROWTH OF THE SUB-OXIDE PARTICLED AND METAL PRODUCT PARTICLES TO A PREDETERMINED SUN-MICRON SIZE.