Electronic structure of sintered zirconium carbide

The methods of electron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray structural analysis were used to study samples of carbon, metallic zirconium and zirconium carbide. It was found that the studied samples exhibit differences in the Auger spectra and electron spectra of primary electrons of pure Zr and C and scattered on plasmons compared to ZrC. It was found that the average ionization potential of electrons in zirconium carbide was $\sim$7–10 eV. Analysis of the results of X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive analysis and Auger spectrometry made it possible to determine the elemental and phase composition of zirconium carbide obtained by hot pressing. It was shown that the cubic lattice of ZrC contains impurity atoms of oxygen and nitrogen. It was found that the electrons of carbon in the composition of ZrC are at levels with a lower binding energy compared to their position in zirconium and carbon. It is suggested that the intensity of electrons scattered on plasmons decreases with increasing atomic density of the compound.