By upgrading to Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Vesuvius Group has improved the efficiency of aluminum cleanliness inspection and enhanced the overall quality of cast aluminum products. Using the Phenom ParticleX automated analysis system, company scientists can now detect 7 to 8 times more particles in the same aluminum sample — faster and more efficiently.
PART 1: Vesuvius Foseco and Its Role in Foundry Innovation
Vesuvius Foseco is a global leader in consumable products and solutions for the foundry industry. The company provides feeding systems, filters, coatings, metal treatment products, and process technologies that help foundries improve casting quality, reduce defects, and optimize production efficiency. With operations worldwide, the company's commitment to innovation drives continuous improvement in foundry processes and product quality.
PART 2: The Challenge of Aluminum Cleanliness Assessment
Inclusions in aluminum — oxides, carbides, borides, and other non-metallic particles — are a major cause of casting defects and reduced mechanical properties. Traditional cleanliness assessment methods, such as optical microscopy of polished sections, provide limited information: they can identify some inclusions but lack the ability to determine composition and cannot reliably detect very small or low-contrast particles.
PART 3: The Phenom ParticleX Solution
The adoption of Phenom ParticleX with automated SEM-EDS analysis transformed Vesuvius Foseco's cleanliness assessment capability:
- 7-8x Higher Detection Rate: Automated BSE imaging detects many more particles than manual optical microscopy, including small and low-contrast inclusions previously missed.
- Compositional Analysis: EDS provides elemental composition for each particle, enabling precise classification by inclusion type.
- Faster Analysis: Automation dramatically reduces the time required per sample while providing far more comprehensive data.
- Statistical Rigor: The large datasets enable statistically meaningful cleanliness assessments, supporting data-driven quality decisions.
This upgrade has enabled the company to set higher cleanliness standards and provide more reliable quality assurance for its global customer base.
