Process for producing a valve metal powder by producing a precursor of desired morphology, converting the precursor into an oxide of the valve metal, stabilizing the structure of the oxide by heat treatment and reducing the stabilized oxide while retaining the morphology. Valve metal powders obtainable in this way, in particular comprising spherical agglomerates with a mean agglomerate size of 10 80 .mu.m, preferably 20 40 .mu.m, and use of these valve metal powders to produce solid electrolyte capacitors.