Monitoring non-metallic inclusions in steel manufacturing

Thermo Fisher Scientific has announced the latest iteration to its range of ARL iSpark Series Optical Emission Spectrometers. The Thermo Scientific ARL iSpark 8860 Inclusion Analyzer with Spark-DAT boasts all the features necessary for both thorough elemental analysis of steel and ultra-fast inclusion analysis. It can help to guarantee keeping the lowest inclusion content of steel products at the point of manufacture to prevent costly production issues, like nozzle clogging during continuous casting processes.

The ARL iSpark 8860 Inclusion Analyzer is the first optical emission spectrometer on the market to combine full elemental coverage with rapid characterisation of non-metallic inclusions in a single analysis. It can identify and determine features such as the type, number, size, concentration and volume fraction of inclusions, allowing steel manufacturers to control inclusion content in steel products in real time. In turn, this can help to prevent costly process issues and the detrimental effects of inclusions on the mechanical properties of end products, ensuring high quality steel production and minimising the risk of customer claims or product returns.

Features/benefits include:

Part of the ARL iSpark Series – the trusted standard in optical emission spectroscopy

Fully equipped to generate advanced elemental concentrations and inclusion data in steel

1m vacuum Paschen-Runge optics with photomultiplier tube (PMT) detectors

Full elemental coverage, including gas elements

Ultra-fast inclusion analysis

Comprehensive inclusion analysis software tools, including Spark Explorer, Inclusions Report and Statistical Process Control (SPC)

Inclusion analysis method customization and training with Thermo Fisher Scientific experts

Automated with the ARL Sample Manipulation System (SMS).