Metal is particularly well-suited for structural and load-bearing uses due to its strength, ductility, malleability, and reliable performance across temperatures. Today’s scientists are striving to expand capabilities even further by developing metals that are stronger, lighter, and allow more shape memory. Typically crystalline in structure, metals are often studied via elemental and structural analysis. Optical emission spectrometry technique is universally used in the metal industry for fast chemical composition analysis, whether for incoming material or metal quality control and production analysis. From handheld to bulk analysis, x-ray spectroscopy is also widely used to identify emerging materials in a variety of stages including R&D and process monitoring. It is essential to know when to employ the various elemental and structural analysis techniques: SEM/EDS, XPS, OES, XRF and XRD. See our application notes and webinars to uncover how we analyze metals with a variety of tools and applications.