Today there are over 3,500 different grades of steel. In fact, steel is one of the world’s most innovative and essential materials for manufacturing, building and construction. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our daily lives on an unprecedented global scale. The need to alter our way of life to try to mitigate and contain the virus has made us press pause on everything we take for granted, from visiting family and friends to travelling to work and business continuity.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a nondestructive testing method that has been around for over 100 years. It is used in many industries and it has several specific applications that are very critical. So, what is it and how does it work?

Earlier this year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it’s working on new rules to decrease NOx and other pollutants present in vehicle emissions.

With the increasing regulations in safety, reliability, traceability, and regulatory compliance, material verification has become an essential component in a safety and reliability program.

Electroless nickel (EN) is industry’s most common plated finish. It’s widely used for applications that demand wear resistance, hardness and corrosion protection—particularly if parts have complex geometries. It is also used in PCB manufacturing within a process known as ENIG, electroless nickel immersion gold. 

Years ago, metal fabricators and quality control personnel needed to conduct expensive, time-consuming laboratory tests to perform material verification.

Knowing a material’s breaking point is crucial during its development; and being able to observe the instantaneous moment of failure allows for a greater understanding of the process. That, in turn, can help develop stronger and safer materials.

For metal producers, processors, recyclers, contractors and others, continuous quality control plays a key role in establishing the identity and composition of various metals and alloys from initial melt to finished product or end use.

Pick up a material analysis data sheet and you’ll always find tensile testing, and probably flexural testing as well. But depending on the application, don’t hold your breath looking for compressive testing.