Laboratory Analysis and Expertise of steels - Metallurgical expertise

Chemical analysis Characterisation of materials
More than 140 people
More than 140 people at your service
5200 m² laboratory
5200 m² laboratory + 99% of services are provided in-house
Accredited laboratory
Accredited laboratory COFRAC ISO 17025

Our laboratory is expert in metallurgy and alloy analysis, particularly steel offering advanced expertise in determining chemical composition and physico-chemical properties.

Your needs: analysis and expertise of steels

What is steel?

Steel is a metal alloy composed mainly of iron and carbon. A resistant metal with improved hardness properties, steels are used in many industrial sectors: construction, furniture, machining, machine tools, aeronautical parts, food packaging, etc.

The different types of steel

There is a wide variety of types of steel, each adapted to specific uses depending on its chemical composition, heat treatment and mechanical properties. Here are the main families of steels, classified according to criteria commonly used in industry:

Non-alloy steels

Stainless steels

Alloy steels

Special steels

Analysis of steel composition: essential quality control

Analysis of the chemical composition of steels enables the presence and concentration of essential alloying elements, such as tungsten, chromium or molybdenum, to be verified, ensuring the conformity of materials for safety- and performance-critical applications.

The FILAB laboratory, specialist in metallurgical and steel analysis

The FILAB laboratory offers several hundred customers its analysis and expertise services on steels, some of them under COFRAC ISO 17025 accreditation.

The FILAB laboratory puts its experience and specific skills in metallurgical analysis at your disposal to check the quality of your steels or determine their grade.

Our steel analysis methods

We use advanced analysis techniques, such as spectrometry and ICP analysis, to accurately detect the chemical composition of steels. These methods can be used to measure elemental content and ensure material quality.

Our technical resources

Elemental analyzers C,H,O,N,S

Elemental analyzers

Carbon, Sulphur (C/S)

Elemental analyzers

Nitrogen, Oxygen and Hydrogen (N / O / H)

Spark Spectrometry SEO

Basic analysis techniques ICP-AES and ICP-MS

SEM

Our analysis of steels and alloys

Titanium : TiAl, T40, TA6V

Cobalt : Cobalt Stellite Grade 6, Cobalt Stellite Grade 21

Nickel (Nitinol, Inconel 718, Inconel 625, René 77, Hastelloy X

With a team of materials experts and state-of-the-art analytical equipment, the FILAB laboratory offers you its metal materials analysis services, particularly for steels, to help you solve your industrial problems.

Weld analysis on steel

Study of fracture surfaces on steel

Study of ageing (corrosion, surface alteration, etc.) on steel

Study of corrosion resistance on steel

Analysis and characterization of steel surfaces (roughness, defects, etc.)

Why carry out a steel analysis and survey?

Make sure they comply with current standards: many industries, such as the medical device industry, have standards to which their materials must conform.
Ensuring the quality of steels by checking their chemical composition
Control costs: identify material faults and avoid repair or replacement costs during use.
For the design of new products: it identifies the steels best suited to a particular application

FAQ

What chemical elements are we looking for?

This depends on the type of steel, but the most common elements are :
Iron (Fe), Carbon (C), Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Silicon (Si), Vanadium (V), Tungsten (W), Phosphorus (P), Sulphur (S), Copper (Cu), Nitrogen (N)...

When is steel analysis essential?
  • Raw material received without certificate
  • Problems on the production line (hardness, weldability, corrosion, etc.)
  • Expertise after breakage or premature wear
  • Conformity check before delivery or critical assembly
  • Validation of a supplier or process change
What sample formats or states can be sent?
  • Solid parts, bars, sheets, plates
  • Shavings or powders
  • Residues or deposits on parts
  • Cut or machined samples

The laboratory adapts the preparation according to the shape and quantity available.

Is it possible to analyse highly corroded or worn steel?

Yes, but suitable preparation is needed to remove oxidised or contaminated layers. This enables a representative measurement of the base material to be obtained.

Can a weld or heat-affected zone (HAZ) be analysed?

Yes, under certain conditions. It is possible to take a local sample from a zone of fusion or ZAT to analyse the chemical changes induced by welding.

The filab advantages
A highly qualified team
A highly qualified team
Responsiveness in responding to and processing requests
Responsiveness in responding to and processing requests
A COFRAC ISO 17025 accredited laboratory
A COFRAC ISO 17025 accredited laboratory
(Staves available on www.cofrac.com - Accreditation number: 1-1793)
A complete analytical park of 5,200m²
A complete analytical park of 5,200m²
Tailor-made support
Tailor-made support
Emmanuel BUIRET Technical Sales Representative
Ask for your quote