Unknown materials can occur in many situations, including unidentified powders, metals, polymers, ceramics, coatings, residues, particles, production materials, components, and research samples. Determining their composition can help support material identification, quality control, failure investigation, supplier verification, research and development, and reverse engineering.
Test sample
Determine the likely material family or composition of an unknown sample: unknown metal alloy, unknown plastic, unknown polymer, unknown powder, unknown ceramic, unknown mineral, unknown coating, unknown residue, unknown particle, unknown composite etc
Testing technology
Typical analytical methods include:
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES), Inductively Coupled Plasma analysis (ICP), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS/EDX), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), Microscopy, Density and physical property testing
Test Project：The appropriate combination depends on the sample type and analytical objective.
Material Identification
Examples include: unknown metal alloy, unknown plastic, unknown polymer, unknown powder, unknown ceramic, unknown mineral, unknown coating, unknown residue, unknown particle, unknown composite
Supplier Verification
Composition analysis can help compare supplied materials against specifications, technical documentation, or certificates of analysis.
Failure Investigation
Unexpected deposits, particles, corrosion products, inclusions, or foreign materials can be analyzed to determine their composition and potential relationship to a failure.
Reverse Engineering
Material characterization can provide information about the composition and structure of an existing product or component when original material documentation is unavailable.
Research and Development
Unknown or experimental materials can be characterized to support formulation development, process optimization, and material selection.