Abstract
In order to investigate the behavior of $SiO_2$ in the molybdenum silicide powders, crystal structure of these powders was measured by XRD, in addition, surface composition and surface phase (or chemical states) and microstructure were analysed by XPS and TEM, respectively. Mo-silicide powders containing $SiO_2$ were synthesized by SHS (Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis) technique. In XRD result, according to increase of $SiO_2$ contents, the crystal structure for synthesized $MoSi_2$ powders was still typical $MoSi_2$ bct without any other phases. By XPS analysis, the surface of Mo and Si source powders was covered with $MoO_3$ and $SiO_2$, respectively, and the surface of synthesized $MoSi_2$ powder was also covered with $MoO_3$ and $SiO_2$, which were stable oxides at room temperature. However, according to increase of $SiO_2$ addition, $MoSi_2$ phase in XPS spectra decreased and $SiO_2$ phase increased relatively in synthesized $MoSi_2$ powders. From the results by XPS and XRD, we found that the existent $SiO_2$ has amorphous structure. In the microstructure, the small particulates of the synthesized products added $SiO_2$ agglomerated together to form larger clusters (from ~10 nm to ~1 ${\mu}m$). From TEM, XPS, and XRD results, we found that the out layer of agglomeration of synthesized $MoSi_2$ powder is surrounded by amorphous $SiO_2$.
