Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced a new ultra-fast method for characterising steel cleanness by analysing inclusions using optical emission spectroscopy (OES).
The method, which uses the Thermo Scientific Spark-DAT option on the Thermo Scientific ARL 4460 Metals Analyzer, significantly enhances the capabilities of the instrument and is said to offer a faster and more cost-effective alternative to existing methods of characterising steel cleanness.
The Spark-DAT option enables steel manufacturers to identify, characterise and count inclusions in only a few seconds, making it highly effective for steel production.
The advanced Spark-DAT option features what TFS call a unique methodology and software technology, and offers a range of applications for the characterisation of steel cleanness.
These applications include the determination of inclusion size and distribution and the quantitative analysis of total oxygen content at concentrations of 30ppm and below in killed steel samples.
The Spark-DAT option offers a range of advantages for steel-making plants.
By enabling the fast determination of steel composition, inclusion characterisation and accurate total oxygen content simultaneously on a single OES instrument, initial investment costs are significantly reduced.
In addition, as analysis times are almost unchanged compared with standard OES, up to 30 samples can typically be analysed per hour.
The sample and its surface preparation, as well as the instrument maintenance and consumables, are also unchanged, ensuring low operating costs.
The Spark-DAT option on the Thermo Scientific ARL 4460 Metals Analyzer considerably enhances the OES technique and increases the versatility of the spectrometer.
From routine use to research, Spark-DAT provides a quick, simple and cost-effective solution for inclusion analysis in the steel industry.
