Analysis of inclusions in spring steel using scanning electron microscopy and Auger spectroscopy

Different electron beam based techniques such us SEM/EDS and AES are very similar with regard to their imaging capabilities, but there are significant differences in the compositional information they can provide about the sample. In order to determine the usefulness of a technique for the identification of inclusions in spring steel the SEM/AES analysis techniques were used and are shown to be well suited for characterizing of these inclusions. From the results it was possible to evaluate the nature of inclusions, their location, size and chemical composition. It is evident from this study that applications of different techniques in inclusion determination are more representative and reflect inclusion size distribution in sample more objectively.