Alloy Testing Laboratory

At ASAP Metal Testing you will speak with an experienced metallurgical engineer who will help you determine what chemical tests your sample will require.

The fastest and least costly test method for metal alloy verification is optical emission spectrography (OES).

Speak to a Metallurgist

What is Optical Emission Spectroscopy?

When a sample is submitted to a metal alloy test lab the fastest and least costly method of analysis is using an optical emission spectrometer (OES). This method involves exciting the metal sample with a high energy spark. The OES computer counts the concentration of the valence electrons emitted by each element. The advantages of an OES metal chemical test are:

Fast Test Method for Solid Metal Samples
Lowest Cost Metal Alloy Test Method
High Degree of Accuracy
No Additional Chemical Test Methods Required to Provide Accept/Reject Statement

There are size requirements to perform an OES metal chemistry. The spark stand opening requires a minimum of 3/8” diameter of flat material to maintain a neutral gas environment during the high voltage arc burn.

Sample Size and Condition Limitations For OES Metal Alloy Testing

Shape, size and the configuration of the sample affect the sample preparation for OES analysis
Samples are prepared by sanding to remove surface scale and oxidation
No cracks or excessive porosity in the test sample
Additional sample preparation by hot forging for smaller samples can allow smaller samples to be tested.

The unknown sample is compared against commercially available certified standards for all base metals and alloys. Flattening can also be used when very small samples are submitted for testing. Another option is using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) wet chemical testing. It is a widely available test option, although at a significantly higher cost.

A typical chemical test report comparing Good and Bad stainless steel samples will include the following information:

Element	Good	Bad
Carbon	.05 %	.11 %
Manganese	1.23	1.00
Phosphorus	.017	.017
Sulfur	.006	<.005
Silicon	.36	.48
Nickel	8.25	7.22
Chromium	18.17	16.92
Molybdenum	.17	.27
Copper	.24	.30
Aluminum	<.01	<.01
Steel Grade	Type 304 SS	Type 301 SS

* Testing performed in accordance with ASTM E1086.

The presented metal alloy verification identified the “Bad” sample as not exhibiting the required chemical composition for 304 stainless steel

Metal Types That Can Be Tested By OES Metal Alloy Testing

Plain Carbon & Alloy Steel
Stainless Steel
Aluminum Alloys
Copper and Brass Alloys
Titanium Alloys
Nickel Alloys

The chemists at ASAP Metal Testing are highly experienced at performing the most cost-effective test method(s) to identify if your material conforms to the specification requirements. All metals, sizes and shapes can be tested. Call our metal alloy test lab to answer any of your material chemistry questions and see the ASAP difference.