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Metal manufacturers face increasing pressure to deliver stronger, cleaner, and more reliable materials. Whether producing structural steels for vehicles, alloys for aerospace turbines, or corrosion-resistant grades for energy and infrastructure, manufacturers must control an increasingly complex set of variables. Microstructure—including grain structure, phases, inclusions, and nanoprecipitates—along with surface chemistry and coating integrity all influence the behavior of final products. Even minor deviations can compromise forming, weldability, fatigue life, corrosion resistance, or long-term durability.
Combining advanced characterization techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) with correlative and automated workflows enables a broader, more integrated view of materials, revealing complementary layers of information and providing unprecedented clarity, detail, and speed. From molten metal refining to additive manufacturing and advanced surface engineering, these tools help engineers and scientists stabilize processes, reduce scrap, diagnose defects faster, and design alloys that perform under extreme conditions.
This eBook presents various targeted use cases spanning the most critical stages of the metal supply chain. These examples illustrate common industry challenges and demonstrate how modern characterization workflows address them through correlative approaches that combine a wider range of information, ultimately enabling the production of better, cleaner, and more reliable metals.
Inside, you’ll find insight into how these techniques can help you:
- Gain visibility into microstructure, inclusions, and surface chemistry
- Improve process control from raw materials to final product
- Reduce defects, scrap, and downstream failures
- Accelerate alloy development and performance validation
- Ensure raw material cleanliness and optimize refining
- Identify root causes of forming and coating defects
- Validate surface treatments and corrosion resistance
- Qualify additive manufacturing processes
- Optimize nanoscale structures in advanced alloys
The real-world use cases span the supply metals chain to demonstrate how combining techniques like SEM, EDS, FIB-SEM, TEM, and XPS delivers faster, more actionable insights.
- Inclusion analysis to improve steel cleanliness
- Failure analysis in high-strength forming applications
- Coating defect identification in automotive parts
- Surface chemistry validation with XPS
- Multiscale characterization of additive manufacturing alloys