Material analysis and testing refers to technologies that characterize the composition, structure, properties and defects of materials via physical, chemical or microscopic analytical methods. It aims to reveal the intrinsic properties, quality or failure causes of materials, and is widely applied in various fields to provide foundations for material research and development, production, quality control and failure diagnosis.
Its core contents fall into four categories:
First, composition analysis, which measures chemical composition and content. ICP-MS, XRF and other instruments are adopted for elemental analysis; FTIR, GC-MS and other equipment are used for chemical composition analysis, for example, FTIR is applied to identify plastic types.
Second, structural analysis for the study of microstructures. XRD is used to test crystal structures, SEM for microscopic morphology, and ultrasonic testing for internal structures. For instance, SEM can determine the fracture causes of metals.
Third, performance testing to evaluate physical, mechanical and chemical properties, such as salt spray testing for corrosion resistance assessment.
Fourth, failure analysis to trace the root causes of product failures through visual inspection, composition analysis and other procedures, e.g., investigating the cracking causes of electronic equipment housings.
