ANALYZING COATED POWDERS WITH XPS

The goal for this study has been to show how different XPS analysis methods may be used in the characterization of coated powders. An inhomogeneous powder system serves also as an example of inhomogeneous uneven samples in general. The XPS methods discussed here are: elastic peak measurements and the layer calculations derived from them; depth profiling by sputtering or by varying the analysing angle; and analysis of both elastic and inelastic parts of an XPS peak by methods introduced by Tougaard et al. Correlations between the results from different XPS methods are also discussed. As an example, XPS methods were applied to the surface characterization of real coated TiO2 pigments. XPS results are also compared both with XRF bulk analysis and with each other.