The material composition of an object is not always easy to determine. Any material that cannot be positively identified using simple observation usually has to undergo some kind of test or close analysis in order to be identified. Determining the material makeup of an object is incredibly important for many reasons – including experimental accuracy and product consistency. It is also important in forensic and archaeological strands of scientific enquiry. Here is a quick guide to some of the ways in which scientists determine the material makeup of an object.
Physical Behavior
One of the simplest ways of finding out what an object is made of is to examine the physical behaviors that it exhibits under various conditions. There are various physical attributes that can be analyzed in order to determine chemical or material composition:
Density
Melting Point
Thermal Conductivity
Electrical Conductivity
Thermal Expansion
Corrosion Resistance
Scientists have a pretty clear knowledge of how individual materials react when tested for these attributes, so a basic analysis of material construction can be achieved through a process of elimination. Physical behavior cannot, however, determine the exact chemical composition of an object or material. Closer examination is needed in order to truly know what an object is made up of.
X Ray Diffraction
X ray diffraction is the method most widely used to determine the chemical composition of crystalline materials. When an X ray is beamed into a crystalline material, the uniform spaces between the atoms that make up the crystal will create a spectrum when the x ray is developed. Because of the uniformity of crystalline structures these spectra can be analyzed in order to positively identify the crystalline structure that is being analyzed. Specialist x ray diffraction equipment available to scientific institutions at malvernpanalytical.com is used instead of convention x ray machines. This kind of analysis is used widely in the pharmaceutical industry, where the accurate identification of materials is immensely important.
Microscopic Analysis
Looking very closely at an object is a perfectly reasonable way of identifying what it is made up of. Modern digital microscopes allow for the close analysis of objects in order that their makeup may be determined. Microstructure analysis is widely used in the identification of metallic materials and the identification of microbial life.
In bio-chemistry and forensics, microscopic analysis is often the first port of call for scientific analysis of material construction.
Chemical Testing
Chemical testing is often used to reveal whether any contaminants or material impurities help make up an object. In chemical process management, this is an essential step. Chemical testing can be used to help identify impurities in nearly every kind of material. There are many techniques for producing accurate chemical testing results. Classical analysis relies upon the manual observation of chemical reactions between the object being analyzed and various substances. Instrumented analysis involves the use of specialist instruments that carefully measure reactions to substances or measure chemical changes. The vast majority of chemical analysis falls into this category.
