Patent 7858184 was granted and assigned to Hitachi on December, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A method for producing fine, coated metal particles comprising the steps of mixing Ti-containing powder except for Ti oxide powder with oxide powder of a metal M, an M oxide having a standard free energy of formation meeting the relation of ΔGM-O>ΔGTiO2; and heat-treating the resultant mixed powder at a temperature of 650-900° C. in a non-oxidizing atmosphere, thereby reducing the oxide of the metal M with Ti to provide the resultant fine particles of the metal M with TiO2-based titanium oxide coating.