Some of these impurities are more detrimental than others, but all must be carefully monitored. Too much or too little of these materials can cause the steel to form incorrectly, ending up brittle and unusable. Sulphur, for example, is very harmful, causing the steel’s strength to be reduced. Often times, manganese is added to counter the sulphur, causing it to form manganese sulphide (MnS) instead of iron sulphide, increasing the strength and tenacity of the steel produced.  In addition, MnS improve machineability of steel as well.

Another side effect of metal impurities is they can affect the grain size of the steel. While phosphorous can increase the strength of steel, it also increases the grain size and decreases the ductility. By refining the grain of the steel, the manufacturer can increase the strength and reduce the ductile-brittle transition temperature of the metal.

In order to maintain the standards for the type of steel being created, manufacturers must closely monitor the amounts of metal impurities added into or created by the steelmaking process. Modern equipment plays a large role in the manufacturing of steel, from new steel furnaces to top-of-the-line inclusion analysis software. Having an analytical tool within the steel line can vastly improve the quality of the steel produced.

The Aspex Personal SEM equipped with the Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA) software takes the guesswork out of the steelmaking process. The MQA provides up-to-date inclusion compositional information, allowing adjustments to be made quickly to counter negative impurities. Since the PSEM is a fully-integrated SEM/EDX machine, the system is able to quickly and accurately report count, size, and elemental composition of the sample scanned.

Implementing the Aspex MQA provides benefits to the manufacturer that can vastly outweigh the upfront cost. From comparing inclusion counts to standards and analyzing steel cleanliness vs. time, to alloy development and consumable consumption reduction, the Aspex PSEM with MQA software in an all-in-one analytical system designed with the metal industry in mind.

Reference:

Aspex

http://aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html

Chest of Books, “An Elementary Outline Of Mechanical Processes,”

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/mechanics/Mechanical-Processes/index.html

Office of Scientific and Technical Information

http://www.osti.gov/bridge/servlets/purl/861397-Tb7pb9/861397.pdf

Codecogs Engineering

http://www.codecogs.com/reference/engineering/metallurgy/impurities_in_steel.php

The amount of energy released is based upon the starting and ending shell of the electron. The resulting x-ray can be converted into an EDX spectrum plot. This plot shows the different peaks that correspond to the energy levels of the x-rays received. Each part of the sample can be identified by comparing the x-ray against other known atomic structures, since each element has a unique structure. These plots can be shown as a elemental map to evaluate several elements at once or as a line profile to identify a single element.

There are two major types of detectors used for EDX, Lithium drifted Silicon Detector (SiLi) or the Silicon Drift Detector (SDD). While the SiLi must be operated at liquid nitrogen temperatures, the SDD is capable of being used at relatively high temperatures. The SDD has several other advantages over the SiLi, including faster analytical capabilities and better resolution, as well as higher count rate. The larger count rates also have the added benefit of reducing the damage to the sample because smaller specimen currents can be used.

While there are some free-standing EDX machines, SEMs are the typical equipment of choice. Since SEMs have the added bonus of imaging, they can become an integrated SEM-EDX instrument. Aspex’s Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM(R)) comes standard with an EDX spectrometer and utilizes a SDD X-Ray. Capable of EDX resolution of 135 eV and a particle detection range of 100nm to 5mm, the PSEM is a reliable, easy to use instrument.

Typical uses for EDX include foreign particle analysis, corrosive evaluation, coating composition analysis, and small component material analysis. Industries such as defense, automotive, pharmaceutical and aerospace (Should we link to these industry pages) are common places EDX analysis is used. The PSEM Express is a benchtop SEM that, when combined with Aspex software such as Automated Feature Analysis (AFA) and Complex Feature Analysis (CFA), becomes a fast, fully automated, affordable desktop SEM analysis system.

Reference:

Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/products/psem-express.html

EDX Analysis and WDX Analysis, http://www.siliconfareast.com/edxwdx.htm

Materials Evaluation and Engineering, Inc., http://mee-inc.com/eds.html

Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy-dispersive_X-ray_spectroscopy

From paint to oil, engines to steel content, being able to quickly and accurately analyze particle contamination that could affect the quality of the final product is a necessary step. Since contaminates in steel can alter the grain size, and debris in oils and fluids can effect product life, it is advantageous to take precautionary measures to ensure not only that the end product is up to code, but in order to prevent wasted materials that do not meet the company standards. One tool used to help identify and categorize these particles is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) capabilities.

The Aspex Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) comes standard with an EDX spectrometer and utilizes a silicon drift detector (SDD). EDX technology is used in various industries, such as the automotive and pharmaceutical industries, for foreign particle analysis, corrosive evaluation, and compositional analysis. With EDX resolution of 135 eV and a particle detection range of 100nm to 5mm, small particles are easily identified and sized.

Aspex also has several different software platforms to fit all your analytical needs. The Advanced Quality Control (AQC) software, part of the Perception Suite, provides manufacturers with the capability of evaluating the size, shape, and composition of all particles present in a sample. By inserting the PSEM with AQC into the product line, problem spots can be isolated and controlled, pinpointing where particles are entering the line well before the end product testing is started, thus saving the manufacturer from wasting time creating faulty products.

Whether in the lab or in the shop, the PSEM with EDX capabilities and the AQC software provides the manufacturer with reliable particle analysis techniques to help ensure that the quality of the design is maintained in each step of the manufacturing process.

Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/industrial-automation.html

• Reduced consumption of lime or dolomite
• Energy savings in furnaces
• Removal of sulfur and other inclusions from the steel

In addition to these benefits, the synthetic slag is also a cost-effective way to produce quality steel.

Used mostly in the refining ladle, the calcium aluminates based slag can be used to remove the sulfide impurities from the liquid steel. Steel cleanliness is important in steelmaking; too many impurities can cause defects in the steel, making it brittle. Careful planning and attention is essential to make a quality product, and the use of analytical software and scanning electron microscopes has become increasingly popular.

The Aspex Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) equipped with the Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA™) software, becomes a quick in process inclusion composition analyzer tool. The MQA can provide information to save the steel maker time and money, such as if nozzles are clogged due to calcium aluminates, if the calcium additives are optimal for castability, or if the quality of the steel meets the company’s standards.  Since the MQA analysis is quick, changes can be made to the process before the steel process is completed.  This should result in less heats that are not the correct product which will be more money saved.

Since the MQA uses the electron beam to scan for inclusions, it is able to quickly identify the location of and determine the size of the inclusions in the steel. After the inclusion is sized, then the EDX detector is used to identify the composition of the inclusion. The system is programmed to scan quickly but measure accurately so there is less time spent on analyzing areas that are not of interest.

The Aspex PSEM loaded with the MQA software is a fully integrated SEM/EDX analytical machine, capable of identifying and analyzing steel inclusions, and automatically reporting the results during the steelmaking process. The PSEM is an efficient, time- and money-saving addition to any steel line.

Reference:

Aspex, http://aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html

Patent Storm, http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5716426/description.html

Mettallurg Vanadium, http://www.metallurgvanadium.com/revan.html

Free Dictionary, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/clinkers

Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_oxygen_steelmaking

In order to eliminate these carbon monoxide bubbles, manufacturers add deoxidizing agents, such as silicon, aluminum. If the manufacturer chooses to use aluminum, the oxygen will combine with it to from alumina (Al2O3), which can prevent the grain size from increasing during the heat treatment process. Since the oxygen has been removed, the steel has a more homogeneous quality than steel with oxygen, as well as freedom from porosity, segregation, and blow holes.

If all the oxygen is not removed, the steel is referred to as semi-killed steel. This steel has around 0.15% to 0.25% carbon, slightly less than the killed steel carbon content. These steels are used more for structural purposes, since they have the majority of the killed steel properties, such as the uniformity. The goal in creating semi-killed steel is to produce steel free of surface blowhole and pipe, and close monitoring is needed to prevent additional oxygen inclusions or oxides from incorporating into the steel.

Obtaining killed steel requires close monitoring of the oxides quantity during the steelmaking process. For this analysis, Aspex has equipped its Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) with an up-to-date inclusion analyzer software platform, called Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA). Since the goal of killed steel is maintaining more than 0.25% carbon, and the elimination of oxygen, the MQA software can be set up on the steelmaking line. This allows the scanning of samples before they reach the end product, and allows the manufacturer to adjust the steel mixture, if needed.

The MQA is capable of scanning and categorizing upwards of 10,000 inclusions per hour, giving manufacturers quick, real-time results. In order to have steel properly evolved into killed, semi-killed, or another grade, the steelmaking process must have a way to monitor the oxygen inclusions within the steelmaking line. The Aspex PSEM with MQA software can size, count, and analyze the oxides within the steel sample, saving the manufacturer costly re-melt time and resources and producing a high quality product with a lower chance for failure due to trapped carbon monoxide bubbles.

Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html
AzoMaterials, http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=1697
Steeltalk, http://www.steeltalk.com/classification_other.php

Since inclusions can be rather small, they can be divided into macro- (>20 µm), micro- (1-20 µm), and submicro-inclusions (<1 µm), and need special instruments to identify them. Aspex has created a software platform for its Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) called Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA). As its name suggests, MQA is able to analyze the inclusion of a given sample, identifying and providing the elemental composition for the inclusions. This provides the manufacturer with necessary information about the projected properties of the steel if it were left to have those inclusions included. The manufacturer can then adjust the mixture to meet their standards.

The Aspex PSEM with MQA can be placed directly into the steelmaking line, allowing on-the-spot inclusion contaminant analysis. Since it is a fully-integrated SEM/EDX machine, they are capable of sizing, counting, and determining the elemental composition of the sample, and can have scan speeds of up to 10,000 inclusions fully characterized in an hour. Not only does this help identify the properties of the steel, but the differences in the steel sample between steps – such as the ladle and the casting – can identify valuable insight into the process for manufacturers. They can then take that information and implement strategies directly into their Quality Management Systems.

Contaminants in steel can lead to costly downtime or faulty products. In order to produce a quality product, manufacturers must use the available, reliable tools. The Aspex PSEM with MQA provides manufacturers with fast, reliable, accurate inclusion analysis, allowing them to take corrective action during the steelmaking process, and is capable of saving manufacturers significantly more than the upfront cost of implementation, and leads to a high quality product manufacturers can be proud to produce.

Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html
Azom Materials, http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=4104

Since the steel is poured from the arc furnace into the casting molds, the quality of the steel must be monitored to insure the quality of the castings. Any impurities in the steel become impurities in the castings, including brittleness, loss of ductility, and incorrect grain size. These inclusions can include sulphur, oxides, phosphorous, and tin, and each has its own effect on the making of steel. If the pieces are deemed poor-quality after molding, they must be remelted and recast, the entire process restarted. Eliminating the need to inspect the product after it has been completed optimizes the casting process.

Casting control through inclusion monitoring is what has manufacturers turning to scanning electron microscopes. The Aspex Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) with Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA) software allows manufacturers to monitor the steel contents directly on the shop floor – before it enters the casting molds. Manufacturers can then adjust the steel quality before it has been molded, saving energy and consumables.

The MQA lets manufacturers vary the calcium additive to optimize castability; provides a quality assessment of the steel; and provides steel cleanliness vs. casting time information, before the steel enters the mold. The fully-automated program uses the electron beam backscatter to assess the likelihood of an inclusion, and, if the backscatter is dark enough, initiates the inclusion-sizing sequence, RCA. In addition, the PSEM is capable of relaying the elemental composition of the inclusions, as well as the size and number, providing manufacturers with valuable information to stop the inclusions upstream.

The Aspex PSEM with MQA utilizes scan speeds of up to 10,000 inclusions fully characterized in an hour, directly on the shop floor. Contact our specialists to see how the PSEM by Aspex can save upwards of $1,000,000 per year, whether through energy savings or consumable consumption, far beyond the cost of implementation.

Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html#
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_casting
Southwest Steel Casting Company, http://www.swscc.com/making/making_overview.htm

Once pig iron is smelted, there are three options how to proceed to have a valuable product: creating wrought iron, cast iron, or steel. The further reformation needed to transform pig iron into steel involves keeping close watch on which steel inclusions make it into the final mix. The impurities found in iron have similar effects on steel, causing brittleness, ductility lose, red-shortness, and strength reductions. Steelmakers, thus, must monitor the steel in each step, assuring that the additives are beneficial and the impurities are pulled out.

Monitoring particles on the micron-level during the steelmaking process presented a challenge to analytical tools available. Manufacturers demanded that the analyzer be able to perform under adverse conditions, and still offer quick, accurate analytical results. In response to these demands, Aspex created the Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA) for its Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM).

The PSEM with the MQA software is a fully integrated SEM/EDX machine, and is capable of sizing, counting, determining elemental composition, and automatically creating a report directly in the steel line.   Once the impurities are identified, manufacturers can take corrective action to remove the foreign particles before they make it to the final product.

The steelmaking process is one of checks and balances. Too much of a good additive might end up becoming a detriment itself. Too little, and the carbon content might be too great for the quality of the end product. Manufacturers must maintain a closely monitored system to produce high-end steel. The PSEM with MQA software from Aspex allows them to do so right in the product line. The MQA can scan and characterize upwards of 10,000 inclusions per hour, making it the fastest on the market and can save manufacturers energy and costly re-melts.

Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html

Chest of Books, http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/metal/Applied-Science-Metal-Workers/467-Influence-Of-Impurities-On-Steel.html; http://chestofbooks.com/architecture/Building-Construction-2/Impurities-In-Pig-Iron.html

How Stuff Works, http://science.howstuffworks.com/iron.htm/printable

Manufacturers of safety components typically use SBQ steels for moving pieces, such as:
• Gears
• Shafts
• Axels
• Drive Shafts
• Transmissions

Since the failure of these pieces can cause damage not only to the automobile, but also to the drivers, passengers, and those passing by, it is imperative that manufacturers monitor the construction and maintenance of these parts closely.

Both the steelmakers and automobile makers depend on the quality of the steel produced. By controlling the quality of the steel, and thus the parts created from it, steelmakers can reduce the cost of energy and consumables. Similarly, the automakers can reduce the cost of warranties and the risk of part failure. It is advantageous, then, for strict quality control of the steel quality, and the further maintenance of the parts.

One way to monitor steel for inclusions is by use of electron microscope. Aspex has created its Personal Scanning Electron Microscope (PSEM) and Metal Quality Analyzer (MQA) software to meet the needs of steel manufacturers needing to balance the inclusion counts in their steels. The MQA allows quick, accurate analysis within the steel line, making adjustments for quality plausible in real-time.

By utilizing the electron beam to identify inclusion spots, the MQA can scan upwards of 10,000 inclusions in an hour. The MQA then uses the energy-dispersive x-ray (EDS) to characterize the inclusions and identify the elemental composition of each. Manufacturers can receive these results before the final castings, and can take preventative measures to insure the quality of the steel is consistent with their quality control plan.

Since balancing the carbon in steel with the other necessary additives is imperative, manufacturers who strive to make high-quality, specialized products, such as SBQ, demand a high-quality analyzer. The Aspex PSEM with MQA software gives manufacturers a fast, easy-to-use, accurate analyzer capable of withstanding the harsh melt-shop conditions, making it the go-to analyzer for quality inclusion control.

Reference:
Aspex, http://www.aspexcorp.com/industries/metals.html
Metal Bulletin, http://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/1448055/SBQ-steel.html