Positive Material Identification

Positive Material Identification (PMI) is the analysis of a material, this can be any material but is generally used for the analysis of metallic alloy to establish composition by reading the quantities by percentage of its constituent elements. 

PMI is a portable method of analysis and can be used in the field on components.

PMI is an on-site examination of security-relevant components in regard to the used material (especially in the field of metal structures). It’s on spot, non-destructive and verifies the compliance of the chemical composition of the materials used. Instead of relying on certificates of composition, regulations force many operators to check all the materials used. PMI handheld analyzers either utilize X-rays or a radioactive isotope. Most commonly used is X-Ray rather than radioactive isotopes because of its advantages such as, no NRC regulation, faster analysis, and lower detection limits.