APPLICATIONS OF MÖSSBAUER SPECTROSCOPY IN INDUSTRY

Abstract

The demand by industrial researchers to characterize commercial materials with high precision has seen the growth of many spectroscopic techniques in the broad area of applied materials science. Mossbauer spectroscopy is slowly moving into the industrial arena, due in part to the development of new and highly technological materials whose performance can only be optimized through complete analysis and evaluation down to the atomic level. The movement from the traditional research laboratory environment is assisted by the portability of the most recent instrumentation, including PC based data acquisition, miniature spectrometers, user friendly software for spectral analysis and the development of the scattering detectors for in-situ Mossbauer analysis. Scientific researchers are more often being sought to collaborate in industrial projects to solve problems of economic and social importance. An overview is presented on some of the industrial applications for which Mossbauer spectroscopy is being used today. Discussion includes some of the features important for close collaboration between the research scientist and industrial partners, as well as some of the challenges likely to be faced by the researcher in the endeavours to bring the Mossbauer methodology to the industrial environment. Corrosion research, and the need to fully understand the effect of environmental parameters on the performance of structural steels, is one area in which Mossbauer spectroscopy has become a required analytical technique. One example of a close liason between academia and industry and the use of Mossbauer spectroscopy to characterize and improve the quality of galvanneal steel sheet is presented.