NICKEL POWDER HAVING EXCELLENT SINTERABILITY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide nickel powder having excellent sinterability and used for electrically conductive paste, e.g., for forming the internal electrode of a multilayer ceramic capacitor. SOLUTION: In the nickel powder having excellent sinterability whose shrinkage starting temperature in sintering measured by a thermomechanical analyzer is ≥800°C, by subjecting the nickel powder to contact treatment with a gas comprising sulfur of 0.02 to 0.30 wt.%, a sulfur or sulfuric acid group reacted with nickel and adsorbed is formed on the surface thereof, thus a coating film of nickel sulfide or nickel sulfate is formed, and also, the concentration of sulfur is 0.02 to 0.20 wt.% to the whole quantity. COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT