We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to browse this site you agree to our use of cookies. More info.
In this interview, AZoM talks to James Terrell from SciAps, about carbon grading in small parts and the implications this has for industry.
Even small parts are an integral part of the asset. The failure of small parts could lead to catastrophic consequences just like larger components.
Size and geometry present the biggest challenges. The ability of the testing equipment dictates the size of material it can accurately analyze.
The SciAps analyzer uses a patented purging technique for measuring carbon that does not require a sealing surface to create the inert atmosphere needed to measure carbon.
This small aperture still allows for analysis on small parts without the need for various adapters to accommodate the geometry or size of the part. Curved surfaces or surfaces smaller than the aperture are still able to be analyzed without the need for special adapters.
When utilizing conventional OES analyzers, the probe and aperture of the probe are larger and require a sealing surface at the burn chamber. If the part is smaller than the sealed area of the burn chamber, then you would need an appropriately sized adapter to accommodate that part.
The physical size and weight of an OES is also a disadvantage for fieldwork that requires working at elevated work platforms or in a ditch. The OES also requires a large argon bottle and external regulator to perform the analysis. This ultimately adds to the weight and size of the analyzer.
XRF is a reliable technique for measuring and identifying alloys, even on the smallest of parts. The downside of XRF is that it is not capable of measuring Carbon content. Therefore, it cannot grade materials such as L or H stainless steels.
LIBS is an optical emissions technique that utilizes a pulsed laser to ablate the surface of the material and create a plasma. An on-board spectrometer performs a qualitative measurement of the light from the plasma, separates the individual wavelengths to reveal elemental content, which is then quantified with the on-board calibration.
These instruments provide an efficient and cost-effective solution in a handheld device.
These handheld devices provide the owner/operator with a compact all in one, lightweight, cost-effective way to analyze incoming material, service/retro PMI material, welds, welding consumables and any critical component in their PMI program without the added labor or cost of buying sacrificial parts or collecting shavings and sending them to a lab and waiting on results.
On-site analysis eliminates the long waiting time that is often required to get results from the lab. It allows asset owners to continue to make critical decisions in real-time without having to send parts out to be analyzed. This type of flexibility allows the owners to continue to operate their assets or begin operating sooner, saving valuable time and money.
By utilizing the SciAps LIBs analyzers, the user can now analyze parts such as small weld wire without the need to deposit the wire to create a weld button for testing. It can also test small bore piping, bolting and small diameter round bars without the need or cost for additional adapters to accommodate the part that is to be tested.
James joined the SciAps Team as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for practical field application and solution provider for handheld XRF and LIBS technology in the chemical oil & gas industry. He has 30 years of experience in petrochemical, manufacturing, fabrication, new construction, and maintenance.
James will be focusing on business development for practical field application solutions in these technologies that will help the end user to safely and efficiently confirm, verify, and identify, alloy and carbon steel materials that could be susceptible to industry issues such as rouge material in process units, or identifying damage mechanisms like low silicon content (sulfidic corrosion) in carbon steel pipe.
James began working in the industry in 1987 in construction as a pipefitter and welder and then eventually spent his last 6 years in construction management as a General Foreman and then Construction Superintendent. James began his own PMI business in 1997 utilizing handheld XRF and OES units performing these techniques in multiple segments of chemical oil & gas, power, manufacturing, and fabrication. He has been directly involved in various industry programs including retro-PMI programs, incoming material verification, welding applications, as well as restrictive element application such as HF Alky.
James started working as a PMI SME and Division Manager with Acuren Inspection in Houston Texas in 2009 and helped developed a PMI division that included developing PMI procedures and training technicians to perform the XRF and OES technologies to support the demand for PMI compliance. He also spent 4 years with Acuren as Director of Operations for the SW region.
James also worked as a Vice President of Operations for TUV SUD America Chemical Oil & Gas Division from 2015-2018. He was responsible for the day to day operations and developed a PMI division and program for TUV SUD and was a consumer of XRF and OES technologies.
He joined Thermo Scientific in 2018 to help facilitate the launch of the Niton LIBS analyzer before joining SciAps in 2020
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by SciAps, Inc.
For more information on this source, please visit SciAps, Inc.
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views of AZoM.com Limited (T/A) AZoNetwork, the owner and operator of this website. This disclaimer forms part of the Terms and Conditions of use of this website.
Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:
SciAps, Inc.. (2023, March 15). Grading Carbon in Small Parts. AZoM. Retrieved on March 16, 2023 from https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=21242.
SciAps, Inc.. "Grading Carbon in Small Parts". AZoM. 16 March 2023. <https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=21242>.
SciAps, Inc.. "Grading Carbon in Small Parts". AZoM. https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=21242. (accessed March 16, 2023).
SciAps, Inc.. 2023. Grading Carbon in Small Parts. AZoM, viewed 16 March 2023, https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=21242.
Do you have a review, update or anything you would like to add to this article?
Wilhelm Sanders, Thomas Asam & Dr. Ulrike Corradi
This interview highlights the importance of measuring the uncertainty of spark measurements.
AZoM talks with Francis Wang, CEO of NanoGraf, to discuss their new lithium-ion battery technology and the onshoring of production in the Midwest.
AZoM spoke with Dr. Katharina Marquardt ahead of the 2023 International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We discuss her impressive career in STEM, spanning her expertise in subjects from mineralogy to ceramic materials.
The research-grade Thermo Scientific™ DXR3 Flex Raman Spectrometer is specifically designed for integration with other analytical techniques.
The IR5 is a high-performance benchtop Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometer from Edinburgh Instruments.
Discover ATLAS, a powerful TPMS telematics solution that allows monitoring all your sensors with a single device.
The global semiconductor market has entered an exciting period. Demand for chip technology is both driving the industry as well as hindering it, with current chip shortages predicted to last for some time. Current trends will likely shape the future of the industry, which is set to continue to show
The primary distinction between graphene-based batteries and solid-state batteries lies in the composition of either electrode. Although the cathode is commonly changed, carbon allotropes can also be employed in fabricating anodes.
In recent years, the IoT is rapidly being introduced into almost all sectors, but it has particular importance in the EV industry.
AZoM.com - An AZoNetwork Site
Owned and operated by AZoNetwork, © 2000-2023