AES and XPS investigations for the topochemical characterization of dope elements on WC powders

Trace elements bias the hard metal production and can deteriorate the technological and mechanical properties of sintered tools. Therefore, within the COST 503 action, the surface enrichment of the dope elements Ca, Si, Al, P on 1.5 Mym WC milling grade starting powders has been investigated by AES and XPS. AES depth profiles and high resolution AES (HRAES) elemental maps describe the microscopic distribution of traces. XPS spectra are compared with the AES results and contribute to the understanding of the topochemical structure of doped WC-powder grains.