A range of methods for the detection of barium carbonate contaminant in bar
ium titanate powder has been assessed, namely: X-ray diffraction (XRD), sca
nning electron microscopy (SEM), with EDS-X-ray microanalysis, Fourier tran
sform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), gas
chromatography (GC) for analysis of carbon, and X-ray photoelectron spectro
scopy (XPS). The most satisfactory procedure for the detection of the small
amounts of BaCO3 commonly present is FT-IR. Surface analyses by XPS show t
hat the carbonate is present as a discrete phase and is not a surface film
on barium titanate particles.