{"id":8113,"date":"2016-03-29T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2016-03-29T12:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/?p=8113"},"modified":"2026-02-20T21:45:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T21:45:20","slug":"xrf-helps-identify-tramp-elements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/xrf-helps-identify-tramp-elements\/","title":{"rendered":"XRF Helps Identify Tramp Elements"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" style=\"float: right;border: 1px solid black;margin: 10px\" title=\"tramp elements and isri\" src=\"http:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2016\/03\/isri2016-7.jpg\" alt=\"tramp elements and isri\" width=\"400\" height=\"185\" \/>Metals derive properties such as strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance from alloying <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/content\/dam\/tfs\/ATG\/CAD\/CAD%20Marketing%20Material\/CAD%20Marketing%20Documents\/Infographics\/CAD-Niton-Periodictable-fxl.pdf\">elements<\/a>. Adding alloying agents is a complicated process; the right ingredients must be added in the right percentages in order for the final product to perform as expected. But sometimes materials are present in metal that weren\u2019t put there &#8212; these are known as tramp elements, or residual elements, generally defined as those that are not deliberately added and that cannot be totally removed by metallurgical processes. In this post we\u2019ll look at how tramp elements can influence metal processing.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">How do tramp elements affect steel?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Tramp elements are not inherently bad but the percentage of tramp elements in the overall composition of the metal must be known precisely to ensure the final product will have the desired properties. Tramp elements such as copper, tin, and phosphorus can be harmful\u00a0 in steel, causing surface defects and brittleness in steel finished products.<\/p>\n<p>According to an article on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.keytometals.com\/FreeDemo\/page.aspx?ID=CheckArticle&amp;site=kts&amp;NM=211\">keytometals.com<\/a>, the presence of some tramp elements, in this case phosphorus, can have vastly different effects on steel depending on the amount. For example, the addition of only 0.17% phosphorus increases both the yield and tensile strength of low-carbon sheet steel and improves the bake hardening response and deep drawability.\u00a0However, too much phosphorus can make steel brittle and reduces toughness and ductility.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">How do tramp elements get into steel?<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Steel is the world\u2019s most recycled material.\u00a0 According to the\u00a0ISRI fact sheet, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.isri.org\/docs\/default-source\/recycling-industry\/fact-sheet---iron-and-steel.pdf?sfvrsn=12\">The Iron and Steel (Ferrous) Scrap Industry<\/a>, 73 million metric tons of ferrous scrap was processed by the scrap recycling industry last year, nearly 55% of the volume of all domestically-processed material. With such a high volume of recycled metal coming in to scrap yards, operators must be careful to accurately identify and sort these materials. Determining the presence of contaminants or tramp elements not only influences the amount of money a scrap yard will pay for incoming metals, but how much their customers will pay, or whether they will even continue to do business with a scrap yard found to be dealing in poor quality raw materials that will impact the value of their finished goods.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">Use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/us\/en\/home\/industrial\/spectroscopy-elemental-isotope-analysis\/spectroscopy-elemental-isotope-analysis-learning-center\/elemental-analysis-information\/xrf-technology.html\">X-ray fluorescence<\/a> to detect contaminants in recycled steel<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Scrap yards use\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/us\/en\/home\/industrial\/spectroscopy-elemental-isotope-analysis\/portable-analysis-material-id\/portable-metal-manufacturing-inspection-recycling-solutions\/portable-scrap-metal-recycling-analysis.html\">portable X-ray fluorescent analyzers<\/a>\u00a0to identify the various elements contained in the metals and then grade and sort them appropriately. Although XRF analyzers cannot grade mild steels, they can be useful in tramp element analysis to help prevent these materials from being introduced into a melt. Scrap yard operators can use portable XRF analyzers throughout their facilities to inspect all incoming metals against paperwork, for quality checks after the metals are sorted, and for final analysis before the metals leave the facility.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 18pt\">See XRF at ISRI<\/span><\/p>\n<p>To see for yourself how portable XRF analyzers can help detect tramp elements in the recycled materials you ship to customers, visit us at Booth # 2247 at the ISRI Convention &amp; Exposition.\u00a0 If you can\u2019t be at the show, visit this <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/en\/about-us\/events\/isri.html\">web page<\/a> to learn about the reliable scrap sorting methods available to the metal recycling industry, including light and tramp elements.<\/p>\n<p><em>Show Details:<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thermoscientific.com\/en\/about-us\/events\/isri.html\">ISRI Convention &amp; Exposition 2016<\/a><br \/>\nBooth 2247<br \/>\nApril 2-7, 2016<br \/>\nLas Vegas, Nevada USA<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Metals derive properties such as strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance from alloying elements. Adding alloying agents is a complicated process; the right ingredients must be added in the right percentages in order for the final product to perform as expected. But sometimes materials are present in metal that weren\u2019t put there &#8212; these are known<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":8441,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"division":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8113","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-scrap-metal-recycling","8":"entry"},"_selected_authors":[1398],"_selected_reviewers":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>XRF Helps Identify Tramp Elements; See How At ISRI 2016<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Manufacturers who buy scrap will insist that the metal is identified accurately; the quality and costs associated with their produced goods depends on it. 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About 8,000 miles away in New York City, there was a gold buying rush and a cash-for-gold frenzy. Buyers and sellers are banking on the hope that the gold in the pieces\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Precious Metals&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Diwali Puja Thali With Flowers, Diya, And Gifts","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2025\/10\/iStock-2240362443-1.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13545,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-to-maximize-productivity-in-lightweight-metal-scrap-sorting-at-recycling-facilities\/","url_meta":{"origin":8113,"position":1},"title":"How to Maximize Productivity in Lightweight Metal Scrap Sorting at Recycling Facilities","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 18, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Addressing the Challenge of Lightweight Alloy Identification Lightweight metal scrap sorting\u2014especially for aluminum and magnesium alloys\u2014presents a unique operational challenge. While these materials are essential to modern manufacturing and recycling streams, their similar compositions make them difficult to distinguish quickly and accurately. Traditional sorting methods often force a trade-off between\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General\/Industry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Compacted aluminum scraps","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-163265634_alumscrapblocks-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10286,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/a-valentines-special-best-metal-elements-for-a-sturdy-piece-of-jewelry\/","url_meta":{"origin":8113,"position":2},"title":"A Valentine\u2019s Special: Best Metal Elements for a Sturdy Piece of Jewelry","author":"Mark Lessard","date":"February 10, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A Pleasant Garden article noted that \"from a global perspective, nearly 6 million couples get engaged on February 14th.\"\u00a0It\u2019s no surprise that many of those who \u2018pop the question\u2019 choose to do it on the day known for its message of love and affection. Those who have bought an engagement\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Precious Metals&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Precious Metals","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/precious-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"ring in box with Valentine heart decorations","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/02\/istock-96917265_valentinejewelry.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13429,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-to-identify-aluminum-in-a-scrap-metal-recycling-yard\/","url_meta":{"origin":8113,"position":3},"title":"How to Identify Aluminum in a Scrap Metal Recycling Yard","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Identifying aluminum in a scrap metal recycling yard is more challenging than it might seem. While aluminum is one of the most widely used and recycled metals, its physical similarities to other materials, combined with the complexity of aluminum alloys, make accurate identification difficult. This challenge has significant implications for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General\/Industry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General\/Industry","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/general-industry-metals\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Scrap metal pieces laying in a pile","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/iStock-133993685_scrapaluminum.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13557,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-to-improve-inspection-of-small-metal-parts\/","url_meta":{"origin":8113,"position":4},"title":"How to Improve Inspection of Small Metal Parts","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 26, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Article Summary Manufacturers, quality control teams, and field inspectors face a growing challenge when verifying the composition of small metal parts. Components such as fasteners, weld wire, tubing, bolts, and machined pieces are often difficult to analyze accurately. These parts are critical to operational safety and product integrity, yet their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Manufacturing Quality Assurance&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Manufacturing Quality Assurance","link":"https:\/\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/manufacturing-quality-assurance\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"small metal fasteners","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/admin.acceleratingscience.com\/metals\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/05\/iStock-1087432242.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":13568,"url":"https:\/\/www.thermofisher.com\/blog\/metals\/how-handheld-xrf-technology-exposed-counterfeit-silver-coins-sold-online\/","url_meta":{"origin":8113,"position":5},"title":"How Handheld XRF Technology Exposed Counterfeit Silver Coins Sold Online","author":"Marlene Gasdia-Cochrane","date":"May 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary Counterfeit silver coins are becoming a growing problem in online marketplaces, putting coin collectors, precious metal investors, pawn shops, and bullion buyers at financial risk. A recent \u00a0NBC Connecticut investigation uncovered fake American Eagle silver bullion coins being sold online at prices far below market value. 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