Improved Spectrometric Analysis For Positive Material Identification (PMI)
Improved Spectrometric Analysis For Positive Material Identification (PMI)
Improved Spectrometric Analysis For Positive Material Identification (PMI)
Improved Spectrometric
Analysis for Positive Material
Identification (PMI)
Mobile and Portable Spectrometers for
Infrastructure Integrity Testing in the Process Industries
Introduction
Explosions, fires, and other incidents at oil In many cases, the presence or absence of a
refineries, petrochemical complexes, power particular alloying element in a steel component
plants, and similar installations receive wide and can be critical to its performance, but impossible
often sensational publicity, particularly when to detect by a physical inspection of the item. In
there is loss of life or personal injury. Apart from recent decades, positive material identification
the human cost, financial losses to operators and (PMI) has become accepted practice in the
insurers can run to many millions of dollars. Often process and equipment supply industries.
described as “accidents,” these incidents are not
infrequently traced to the use of piping, valves, Modern spectrometric analyzers are vital
and similar components made of inappropriate components for the performance of PMI in the
materials. demanding process plant environment.
2
The Challenge
The industry-standard approach for
achieving efficient PMI is via elemental
analysis of materials. Traditional analytical
techniques involve taking a process
General corrosion (flow-influenced) sample and subjecting it to analysis in a
(Photo courtesy of the Energy
laboratory. This always involves delays
Institute, London)
and expense, and may well be difficult
or impossible while a process plant is in
sulfidation corrosion can occur when operation. Shutting down an oil refinery
some grades of steel piping are exposed to take a metal sample is hardly a realistic
to process fluids containing hydrogen proposition.
sulfide (H2S), or to hydrogen-free (H2-free)
fluids containing certain hydrocarbons The ideal analytical technique for PMI
the chromium content, the faster the not to compromise the integrity of the
corrosion. However with carbon steels, component tested. The ability to test
the silicon content is also important. In the components while the plant is operational,
presence of those H2-free hydrocarbons which may involve coming into contact
with sulfur compounds, carbon steels with with piping surface temperatures of several
high rate of corrosion. Steel grades with bonus. Minimal sample preparation should
developments, PMI plays a vital role not (XRF) spectrometer can satisfy most
and maintenance of process plants, but at the SPECTRO xSORT handheld analyzer
all stages of the plant equipment supply employs the latest XRF technology to
materials, poor record keeping, or missing solution for numerous process industry
Both techniques work on the spectroscopic The technique works by irradiating the
principle, which relies on the internal surface of the sample with a beam of
atomic structure of the material being X-rays. This induces fluorescence of
analyzed. The atoms of the sample are the atoms in the sample, which is then
excited by an external source of energy, reemitted as X-rays of a lower energy.
which is absorbed by and raises the Each element emits X-rays of a different
energy level of the electrons in the sample and unique energy or wavelength,
atoms. This excited state is unstable. So whose intensity is proportional to
the electrons rapidly return to their normal the concentration of that element in
state, emitting energy as they do so. the sample. The analyzer’s detection
technology can discriminate between
the energies emitted, and measure each
5
Note that some XRF handhelds had The predefined grade library delivered
difficulty in measuring light elements. with the instrument can be easily
Readings are at or below their limits extended by adding data from the
of detection (LODs). Such instruments optional SPECTRO Metals Database.
required a substantially longer time Customized new grade libraries may also
— perhaps 60 seconds — for reliable be created. All results can be stored in
measurements in these cases. the instrument, or sent to a USB drive,
network, or printer as XML or PDF files,
Also, other instruments may require the
via wireless Bluetooth interface. An
path of the X-ray beam to be flushed
optional integrated camera can even add
with helium gas, or to be maintained
images of the sample measured.
in a vacuum, during the measurement.
SPECTRO xSORT measures every sample
— even those containing light elements
— in air, with no method switching,
helium purge, or vacuum.
Easy to Use
It doesn’t take a skilled
analyst to perform
successful PMI with
SPECTRO Metals Database
SPECTRO xSORT. The
easy-to-understand
The instrument uses stored calibrations
graphical interface allows
combined with SPECTRO’s unique iCAL
operations to be selected
(intelligent calibration logic) software.
directly on the touchscreen
With any XRF instrument, these
using a finger or stylus.
calibrations must be checked periodically
Users may choose a against a known standard to standardize
complete analysis, or have the system. SPECTRO xSORT is fitted
the instrument compare with an automatic shutter that uniquely
the analysis against its fulfills two purposes: to protect internal
extensive internal alloy components, and to serve as sample
library and display only material for the iCAL standardization.
the material’s grade Any calibration adjustments are made
specification on the screen. automatically. No separate sample or
Even more conveniently, tedious operator standardization routine
in some situations is required.
7
In the examples given, these values are calculated on the basis of three separate
measurements, but SPECTRO xSORT can also use the data collected during a
single measurement to calculate an SD. Clearly any concentration reported that
is of the same magnitude as the measurement error will be unreliable — which
leads to the concept of limit of detection (LOD): the lowest concentration that can
be reliably measured. This is conventionally three times the SD. SPECTRO xSORT
can be set up to either display the < symbol, or not to report a result, if it detects a
concentration lower than the LOD.]
Alloy C-276
Element Measurement time: 2 Sec
Certified Value [%) Average Value [%] 2 * SD [%]
Cr 15.70 15.74 0.052
Mo 15.70 15.44 0.109
W 3.25 3.27 0.019
Fe 5.25 5.09 0.052
Co 0.23 0.23 0.046
Ni 59.00 59.13 0.53
9
1117
Element Measurement time Analysis [%] 2 * SD [%] Given [%]
5s <0.08
10s <0.056
Si 0.05
20s 0.066 0.012
30s 0.076 0.01
Mn 2s 1.04 0.02 1.07
Cr 2s 0.072 0.005 0.076
Ni 2s 0.05 0.007 0.042
Mo 2s 0.015 0.003 0.016
Cu 2s 0.056 0.009 0.085
Fe 2s 98.5
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