XRF Analysis of a Plated Material
This “Vanadium” steel tool analyzes as nearly half nickel. However, removal of the coating with an abrasive exposes the interior steel alloy and allows identification of the tool steel (UNS T61202, or “L-2”). This example shows how a surface coating affects what is “perceived” by the XRF instrument: the effective composition is a weighted average of both the surface and interior. Thus, judgement is involved in the interpretation of a non-destructive test.
