Compositional Characterisation

Our team can help determine compositional variance in your materials. Bulk elemental and crystallographic composition determination provides insight into manufacturing processes whilst compositional mapping techniques help understand homogeneity in final products.

Compositional characterisation is the study of the elemental and chemical makeup of a material, determining what it is made of and in what proportions, which is fundamental to materials science. This capability is a core element of the Imaging and Characterisation theme at the Henry Royce Institute and the University of Sheffield.

Royce at the University of Sheffield's facilities utilise powerful techniques like Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to precisely measure trace and bulk elemental composition in various materials. Furthermore, Electron Microscopy techniques, specifically when equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) or Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (WDS), provide spatially-resolved compositional mapping.

Understanding a material's composition is crucial for optimising performance in Royce's key areas, such as Advanced Metals Processing and the development of new alloys. Therefore, compositional characterisation is essential for both materials discovery and quality control across academic and industrial projects hosted at the Royce Translational and Discovery Centres.

Capabilities:
Scanning Electron Microscopy (inc Electron Backscatter Diffraction)