As the demand for steel increases globally, steel manufactures are using metal cleanliness to differentiate from their competitors as well as a way to reduce their production costs. Added pressures are found from automotive, aerospace, and oil and gas customers, who require cleaner steel today than in years past. Therefore, the most successful steel companies are focusing on developing cleaner steel practices with a low production cost. It all begins with controlling unwanted inclusions.

Gateway Analytical provides metal cleanliness testing and inclusion analysis for the steel industry because we understand what’s at stake. Non-metallic inclusions found in steel and other specialty metals can cause quality issues, while spinel inclusions can cause fuel injection nozzle clogging. Other inclusions can cause scratches and defects in steel, which in turn can become fracture points or cause fatigue life problems.

We use automated SEM-EDS to provide a detailed accounting of surface cleanliness and to determine size, count, and identity of the inclusions present in your metal components. The information provided will help to guide your material selection decisions and ensure your production processes are not being negatively affected by materials changes or process inefficiencies, such as pinpointing the contamination heat of steel.

Set yourself apart from the crowd and gain a step on your competitors by reaching out to Gateway Analytical today.