XRF Metal Analyzer: Scan Metals & Alloys Quickly

Metals are elements with common properties such as a shiny appearance and good conductivity of heat and electricity. Of the 118 elements, 95 are metals and they make up a quarter of the Earth's crust. Metals are classified according to their physical or chemical properties. In physics, metals are defined as substances that conduct electricity at zero degrees, but not all metals have the same chemical properties. There are ferrous, non-ferrous, brittle, heat resistant, heavy, light, base, noble and precious metals.

Alloys are mixtures of metals and other elements. Alloys have a regular atomic structure. Our metal composition tester exposes metals to X-rays and the metal/alloy then emits characteristic X-rays for identification. Each metal has a unique XRF signature and the strength of the signature is related to its concentration in an alloy - this allows for the accurate quantification of each element present in an alloy. Industrially produced metals and alloys have a homogeneous composition, meaning their structure is the same throughout, which simplifies analysis.

Ferrous metals include pure iron and iron-containing alloys, whilst non-ferrous metals contain no iron. Metals are usually malleable and ductile, but some, such as beryllium, are brittle. Refractory metals are resistant to heat and wear, such as niobium and tungsten. Base metals corrode, whereas precious metals resist corrosion. Precious metals include gold, platinum and others. The classification of copper varies. Bruker XRF guns can scan metals and alloys to determine which metallic elements are present and in what concentration.

Metal analysis is any analysis that is used to verifiy a metal or alloys elemental composition. Some metal analysis methods are destructive and alter the sample, while others, such as XRF analysis, are non-destructive. Optical Emission Spectrometry (OES) is an alternative method to XRF analysis however this can leave a small burn on the sample. Bruker's portable XRF metal analyzer provides rapid and reliable metal analysis, from magnesium to uranium with no sample damage. Our XRF analysis guns allow users to scan metals and alloys to effortlessly determine their composition!