Contract Analysis | Metal | Optical Emission Spectroscopy (CHISPA)

Metallic Alloys have always been one of the cornerstones of mankind evolution for millennia. Naturally occurring or man-made, they have been used in construction, coinage, automotive industry, jewellery, technology development, and many others. Alloys are a combination of at least one metal element with other metallic or non-metallic elements.

The chemical composition of the alloys, namely the base and alloying elements and their relative proportions (as well as the heat treatment), are decisive to define their mechanic and reactivity behaviour. Different alloys are then selected according to the desired characteristics for the intended usage. Due to the huge variety of existing alloys and due to its relevance, the chemical composition ranges of the existing alloys are established by a series of international standards. It is, therefore, of extreme importance to be able to measure the chemical composition of an alloy.

In this study, a metallic cylinder block was analysed to confirm if it was made of Stainless Steel AISI 316L. The analysis was performed using Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) technique, where the metal surface is hit and burned with a high voltage spark in argon medium. This produces a characteristic round black burn spot as shown in the image 1. The measured chemical composition was indeed compatible with Stainless Steel AISI 316L.

The equipment used in this work was Foundry Master Pro 2 from Hitachi. For more information download the brochure here.

Analysis reports can be prepared in English (default), Portuguese or Spanish.
Other services can be requested on demand. They include analytical methods development and validation, route cause analysis support, reverse engineering support and technical consultancy in material characterization.