Metals and Alloys

Metals and alloys are critical building blocks of many products in modern society. From nanomaterials to architectural structures, these materials have a huge range of uses and applications. High-purity metals and alloys find uses in automobiles, semiconductor devices, aircraft, sputter targets, evaporation sources, magnetic media, and many other products. Accurate and precise determination of their chemical composition ensures that end users have the right materials for their specific applications.

For many applications the surface finish of the material can determine its lifetime and stability. This is particularly important in the biomedical field. Surface passivation can extend the lifetime of an biomedical implant, improve biocompatibility and reduce toxicity.

Evans Analytical Group® (EAG) has bulk and surface characterization methods that can address these issues. Failures of materials can occur. A good understanding of the failed surface can help avoid future problems. The use of high resolution imaging tools can provide excellent information regarding failure mechanisms and the possible impact of contaminants and impurities on the failure. EAG has a range of tools and techniques available to address this.

Application Examples

• Purity evaluations of precious metals
• Determination and classification of unknown alloys
• Conformance testing to international or industrial standards
• Lot-to-lot material comparisons for quality assurance
• Verification of purchased products
• Oxygen content measurement and certification of oxygen-free materials
• Comparisons of conforming vs. nonconforming materials
• Process monitoring of dopant/additive levels
• Certification of Pb-free solders
• Examination of Grain size and structure and grain boundary analysis
• Vendor comparison studies
• Purification process evaluations
• Surface cleanliness of metals to monitor cleaning methods
• Thickness of surface oxide passivation layer in NiTi (Nitinol).
• Concentration of toxic Ni at the surface of NiTi (Nitinol)
• Thickness of surface oxide passivation layer (Cr2O3) on CoCr
• Passivation layer thickness on medical implant materials (e.g. TiAlV)
• Surface Pb concentration determination for biomedical applications
• In situ fracture analysis of cleaved surface

Frequently analyzed high purity materials

Precious metals Titanium Gallium Nickel and Ni alloys Molybdenum

Copper Aluminum Indium Iron and steel Cobalt and Co alloys

Silicon Rhenium Tungsten Chromium Tantalum