How to Use the Comparison
- Choose the first grade in Grade A, for example the grade named on the certificate or tag.
- Choose the grade you suspect it could be confused with in Grade B.
- Read the table: every element in either grade is listed, largest first, with the nominal weight per cent for each grade and the difference between them.
- Read the summary under the table. It names the XRF-visible elements with the biggest gaps, which are the readings to check first on the yard floor.
- Confirm the lot with a reading, a certificate or a laboratory analysis before it is described or sold as either grade.
Aluminium and silicon need a light-element instrument, and carbon and nitrogen need OES or a laboratory, so grades that differ only in those elements cannot be separated on a standard handheld XRF.
Popular Comparisons
FAQ
Where do the compositions come from?
Nominal values from producer datasheets, product specifications and published literature, listed on each grade page. They are for identification, not specification limits.
Which grades can I compare?
Every grade with a page on this site: nickel alloys, superalloys, cobalt alloys, duplex and super-austenitic stainless steels, Ni-Resist, copper-nickel and titanium grades. The lists are grouped by family.
Can the tool tell me what grade a piece of scrap is?
No. It shows how two known grades differ on paper. A piece of scrap is identified from its own XRF or OES reading, its markings and its certificate; the comparison tells you which readings to look at.
Why does the difference column use nominal values?
Nominal values are the typical figures a producer or standard gives for a grade. Real heats vary inside the specification limits, so two readings from the same grade will not match the nominal figures exactly.
Published by Mipra Steel, Khetwadi, Mumbai · Last updated