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Laboratory Testing Inc.
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LTI Adds SEM/EDS Analysis to Materials Testing and Failure Analysis Capabilities

HATFIELD, Pa.--Laboratory Testing Inc. (LTI) has announced that it now performs Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectrometry (EDS / EDX) for enhanced materials testing and failure analysis capabilities. The testing laboratory recently purchased a Hitachi S-3400N SEM and EDAX EDS to provide greater customer convenience and timelier turnaround than was available with subcontracted services.

The Hitachi SEM features a variable pressure system capable of accommodating wet and/or non-conductive samples with minimal preparation. The SEM is able to produce high resolution images at magnifications from 5x to 300,000x. The large sample chamber allows for the examination of samples up to 200 mm (7.87 in.) in diameter and 80 mm (3.14 in.) in height, the company says.

The EDS component is applied in conjunction with SEM analysis to detect and measure elements in or on the surface of the sample for qualitative analysis and/or quantitative information on a sample's elemental composition. The new SEM and EDAX EDS equipment at Laboratory Testing is said to be particularly helpful in microanalysis and in analyzing small areas of interest on samples. The EDAX EDS includes a silicon drift detector (SDD) that reportedly offers superior speed and energy resolution compared with traditional SiLi detectors. The system is powered by the new TEAM software package that facilitates material characterization via methods such as spectral analysis, line scans, and element mapping.

Laboratory Testing Inc. (www.labtesting.com), of Hatfield, Pa., is an independent materials testing and calibration laboratory that specializes in metals testing, material analysis, nondestructive testing, failure analysis, dimensional inspection, specimen machining, and calibration services.