Accurate Alloy Grade Identification and Validation with a Bruker XRF Gun

Across a wide range of industries the reliable determination and verification of metal alloy grades is a daily concern for which Bruker’s handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) alloy analyzers have become a standard solution.

Each Alloys grade has a specific combination of different elements. XRF provides a fast and easy non-destructive method for elemental analysis by accurately determining the elemental composition of alloys via a quick scan. Bruker XRF guns are a familiar sight at enterprises dedicated to metallurgy, alloy fabrication, scrap processing and recycling, PMI (Positive Material Identification), specialty alloys, medical and surgical grade alloys, metal imports, welding, forensic metal analysis, and more. In these industries using the wrong, or out of specification alloy grade, can also lead to potentially catastrophic equipment failures. Bruker's alloy grade testing machines can be used to verify alloy grades swiftly and on the spot.

Just some of the industries that depend on fast, portable ways to verify alloy composition and avoid materials mix-ups include:

• Consumer electronics

• Other consumer products (metal fasteners on clothing, metal toys, packaging, etc.)

• Aerospace & Satellite

• Defense

• Automotive

• Petrochemical refining

• Scrap metal recycling

• Precious metal recycling

• Metal fabrication

• Other metal refining operations

In each of these industries, there are unique reasons why alloy grade verification is mission critical, but all these industries have one big reason in common: materials mix-ups and out-of-spec alloys can be expensive in many ways. The finances and reputation of a company can suffer greatly due to the accidental use of incorrect alloys in their products. Additionally, many of these industries are subject to regulatory requirements that demand rigorous alloy testing, whether to check for toxic heavy metals in consumer products, or to ensure that the correct alloy is used (e.g. light element alloys) every time in life-or-death applications such as aircraft manufacturing and maintenance.

Bruker, a leader in portable XRF technology for alloy testing, offers fast and accurate handheld XRF alloy analyzers that can identify an alloy in just 5 seconds.

The Bruker S1 TITAN represents that state-of-the-art in handheld alloy testing and analysis. The S1 TITAN boasts a silicone drift detector (SDD) for exceptional speed and limits of detection, a 50 kV x-ray tube, and a robust alloy library that includes exotic alloys. The S1 TITAN can identify most alloys within 2-5 seconds with light element alloys, containing Mg, Al, and Si, taking just a little longer. The S1 TITAN provides near-laboratory-quality alloy determination in a lightweight package, weighing just a total of 3.3 pounds for comfortable all-day use.