PMI (Positive Material Identification)
Verifying that installed or incoming metal matches the specified alloy grade.
Positive Material Identification (PMI) is the practice of confirming alloy grade and composition on welds, piping, fasteners, and incoming stock before they enter service.
Wrong-grade material in oil & gas, power, aerospace, and pharma can cause catastrophic failures. Portable XRF is the dominant PMI tool because it is fast, non-destructive, and field-ready. Specelex Grade ID returns results in about one second.
Related Terms
XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence)
Non-destructive elemental analysis using X-rays to excite atoms and measure emitted fluorescence.
Grade ID
Software that compares XRF results against alloy libraries to suggest the most likely grade.
OES (Optical Emission Spectrometry)
Spark-based lab technique excellent for C, S, P in steel — complements portable XRF.