Optical Emission Spectroscopy recommendation?

[daily_grind]

A nearby university might have an XRF at a physics or chemistry department. I used to have one handy when I was a grad student, a handheld one from Ametek (now Spectro?). The local pawn shops used them too.

(edit: sorry, I just noticed that was already suggested)

 

[me2]

I have considered buying one and offering this service to knifemakers, but I already have too many things to do to add one more.
With the many knifemakers who do a large business I am surprised there isn't someone who has bought one already.

XRF generally won’t measure carbon content, though some newer methods do. If anyone wants to rent or buy one to rent out, ask lots of questions and make sure to finds what you want. It’s not specifically an issue with carbon. It’s lighter elements in general. Also sample prep is critical. Even if it did measure carbon, there is carbon in a lot of things, fingerprints included. Thorough degreasing and cleaning are essential for measuring such light and common elements.

 

[daily_grind]

A few labs also offer [PIXIE](https://www.eag.com/techniques/spectroscopy/particle-induced-x-ray-emission-pixe/) (particle-induced X-ray emission), it is non-destructive on metals. If it were my old lab, we'd just put your knife in a vacuum chamber and bombard it with the proton beam. You might get a 1mm^2 burn on the surface. Some local colleges have small particle accelerators.

EDIT: it handles lighter elements, like carbon, as well.
Also, if you had a customer who didn't mind paying $10k for a knife, you could do heavy metal ion implantation on the edge ... same machine (i.e. particle accelerator).

 

[daily_grind]

Offtopic - but I'm getting a chuckle talking about this on a blade group. I am getting the impression that there are a lot of people here who know more about advanced lab techniques than I will ever know, and I went to school for it! Part of what makes this site fun to read.

 

[DevinT]

Offtopic - but I'm getting a chuckle talking about this on a blade group. I am getting the impression that there are a lot of people here who know more about advanced lab techniques than I will ever know, and I went to school for it! Part of what makes this site fun to read.

What did you study in school? Just curious.

Hoss

 

[me2]

Most of my experience is from field measurements of 304, 316, 317, and Super-austenitic stainless pipe. Nothing motivates you to learn what you’re talking about like being wrong in front of a dozen people.

 

[daily_grind]

What did you study in school? Just curious.

Hoss

I studied low energy nuclear physics, did some work with X-ray spectroscopy (PIXIE).

Turns out that you can use PIXIE to do archaeology, we did some work studying the metal parts they put old boats together with to see if we could figure out if they were cast, forged, etc. For me it was a long time ago, but I recon if you saw more oxygen on the "skin" of the part than in the interior of the part it might help you argue that it was forged, for instance.

 

[Fixall]

Sorry for the delay! I had sent the knife to a company for XRF, but it was sent back after they saw the name on the knife and decided they'd rather not be involved. The company that made the knife is now more or less out of business, so it's REALLY just to satisfy curiosity now.

I've found a company who has agreed to perform an OES full scan, but it will be a destructive test.

I appreciate the help!