Patent ID: 7470306

Claim:
A method of producing a fine metal powder, characterized by comprising the steps of: subjecting a solution containing tetravalent titanium ions having a pH of not more than 7 to cathode electrolytic treatment to reduce parts of the tetravalent titanium ions to trivalent titanium ions, to obtain a reducing agent solution containing both the trivalent titanium ions and the tetravalent titanium ions at a predetermined existing ratio; and adding a water-soluble compound of at least one type of metal element forming the fine metal powder to the reducing agent solution, followed by mixing, to reduce and deposit ions of the metal element by the reducing action at the time of oxidation of the trivalent titanium ions to the tetravalent titanium ions to grow the fine metal powder, and at the same time, to restrain the growth of the fine metal powder by the tetravalent titanium ions, thereby to obtain a fine metal powder having a article diameter corresponding to the existing ratio of the trivalent titanium ions and the tetravalent titanium ions.