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Q&As since 1989


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Passivation Measurement

Can any one advise a device or process by which we can measure %age of chromium and %age of free iron in a metal surface.

M.Jahangir
- Pakistan
2002

I am not aware of any quick and dirty, inexpensive methods. Most common analytical method is x-ray EDS attached to most Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM). However, you have to be careful of the depth of the coating vs. depth of the beam into substrate. You may read the analysis incorrectly. The other method is Auger analysis which is even more expensive but can be done on atomic layer by layer basis. Again you have to be careful of surface contaminations here. In your country, if you do not have these, check with a nearby university Physics lab or a national lab.

Mandar Sunthankar
- Fort Collins, Colorado
2002