The present invention provides a metal coated fiber with excellent coating
strength and corrosion resistance, and a conductive resin composition
with excellent conductivity. A feature of a metal coated fiber of the
present invention is that following provision of a metal coating on the
surface of the fiber, heat treatment is conducted at a temperature
greater than the crystallization temperature but less than the melting
temperature of the fiber. Gradual cooling is preferably performed
following the heat treatment. Furthermore, a conductive metal coating may
be provided as the metal coating, and an additional corrosion resistant
metal coating then laminated onto the surface of the conductive metal
coating. In addition, a feature of a conductive resin composition of the
present invention is that metal coated short fibers, formed by providing
a conductive metal coating on the surface of a substrate fiber formed
from a synthetic resin and then conducting heat treatment, are mixed into
a substrate resin.