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 Positive Material Identification (PMI) is one of the more specialized non destructive testing methods. With positive material identification the alloy composition of materials can be determined. If a material certificate is missing or it is not clear what the composition of a material is, then the PMI offers the solution. Because specifications for materials used in industry are increasingly more specific, the need for PMI testing has been on an increase for the past several years. Periodic plant maintenance shutdowns are less frequent and consequently the materials used in the plant are in use longer. A wider variety of alloys that are indistinguishable to the eye are being used in process plants. When facility and inspection staff replace components, they must be able to guarantee that the new part matches required specifications. Recent industrial accidents have cost the lives of workers and heightened the awareness of the need for accurate and comprehensive PMI inspections. PMI follows mainly one method for carrying out the analysis of the chemical composition, the XRF (X Ray Fluorescence) method. Elements that can be identified using PMI includes: Ti, V ,Cr, Mn, Co, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ni, Se, Nb, Mo. The other method for PMI is Optical Emission Spectography (OES) which is based on optical emission. PMI finds applications in Aerospace manufacturing, Aerospace castings, Aerospace Fastener QA/QC, Component validation, Plant inspection and for checking the purity of gold.
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