Patent 7803235 was granted and assigned to Cabot Corporation on September, 2010 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A method to passivate a metal or metal oxide or metal suboxide powder, especially a valve metal powder such as tantalum or niobium and the passivated powders formed therefrom are described. The method includes passivating a starting powder with a gas having at least 25 wt. % oxygen present. Passivation is preferably achieved without performing any evacuation steps. Capacitors made from the passivated powders are also described.