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High Performance Materials Analysis Solutions

High Performance Materials Analysis Applications. Why Laboratories Choose LECO.


In industries where failure is not an option, for example—aerospace, automotive, energy, medical, and advanced manufacturing—materials must perform under the most extreme conditions. Whether it’s withstanding temperatures above 1000 °C, resisting corrosion in chemically aggressive environments, or maintaining structural integrity under high stress, the demand for high performance materials is only increasing as our world continues to innovate.

With so much at stake, it’s critical to ensure your high performance materials are truly ready to perform. But performance doesn’t begin on the production line—it begins in the lab.

LECO helps engineers, scientists, and quality professionals solve the toughest analytical challenges in material development, compliance, and failure prevention.

Our solutions span the full spectrum of elemental analysis, thermal analysis, mass spectrometry, and metallography workflows. With reliable instrumentation, your lab is empowered to make confident decisions with accurate, repeatable data.

Whether your work is research-based or rooted in quality assurance, our systems are designed to streamline workflows, reduce variability, and deliver actionable insights. Continue reading for additional resources including webinars, application notes, and testimonials. You can also request a chat with an industry expert to find the right solution for your organization.

Webinars

Brushed metal texture

Solving Aluminum Challenges with Modern Characterization Tools

Explore how modern characterization tools work together to solve common aluminum alloy challenges.
Characterization of High-Performance Polymers Using Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Characterization of High-Performance Polymers Using Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Characterization of High-Performance Polymers Using Thermal Desorption/Pyrolysis and High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Presenters Complete the form to access this webinar
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Application Notes

Alloy metal rods

Ultra-Low Carbon and Sulfur Analysis in Steel, Nickel, and Cobalt Alloys

Maintaining precise control over carbon and sulfur concentrations is vital in the production of steel, nickel-base, and cobalt-base alloys. Even trace amounts of these elements can significantly influence the mechanical properties of a material, affecting its ductility, weldability, and resistance to corrosion. Because surface contamination can cause substantial errors in analytical data, achieving reliable results…
aerospace engine construction

Determining Oxygen and Nitrogen in Refractory Metals with ON736

Oxygen and nitrogen play a critical role in the mechanical properties of titanium alloys, influencing strength, hardness, and surface embrittlement. This application note describes the simultaneous determination of oxygen and nitrogen using the LECO ON736, which employs an electrode furnace, inert carrier gas, and infrared and thermal conductivity detection to support precise quality control in…
steel foundry worker pouring cast iron

Bulk Analysis of Cast and Wrought Aluminum Alloys with GDS900

Aluminum alloys are widely used in aerospace and other structural applications due to their strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance. This application note describes elemental determination of aluminum casting and wrought alloys using the LECO GDS900 glow discharge atomic emission spectrometer, which delivers uniform sputtering, reduced spectral interferences, and stable, linear performance for routine production and…
Common refractory metals

Hydrogen Reactive-Refractory Metals using H836EN

Refractory metals such as titanium and zirconium can be combined with elements such as aluminum, vanadium, molybdenum and tin to produce high-strength, low density, and corrosion resistant alloys. These alloys are used by military, medical, sporting, and aerospace industries because of these properties. Due to the strict demands of these industries, effort needs to be…
aluminum vehicle cladding

Determination of Hydrogen in Aluminum

This application note describes the determination of hydrogen content in aluminum using the H836EN. By utilizing stepped furnace analysis, the instrument effectively differentiates between surface and bulk hydrogen to ensure material integrity.
mechanics assembling airplane

Using C844 to Determine Carbon in Refractory and Reactive Metals

Titanium alloys are widely used in aerospace, medical, and military applications due to their strength, low density, and corrosion resistance. This document discusses carbon as an alpha-stabilizing element in titanium, its impact on alloy properties, and why controlling carbon as an impurity is critical to meeting strict quality standards in commercially pure and alloyed titanium.
Hollow Galvanized Steel Beams

Carbon and Sulfur in Iron, Steel, Nickel-Base, and Cobalt-Base Alloys

The determination of carbon and sulfur levels is a critical quality metric for iron, steel, nickel, and cobalt-base alloys, as these elements significantly influence material properties like hardness, ductility, and malleability. Utilizing a high-efficiency induction furnace and an advanced infrared detection system, the CS844 provides the rapid and precise analysis necessary for demanding production environments…
Alloy metal rods

Determining ONH in Alloys: Optimizing Cycle Time and Performance

Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen are critical quality metrics in steel and nickel- and cobalt-based alloys, directly influencing strength, ductility, porosity, and embrittlement. Explore the principles of simultaneous ONH determination using the LECO ONH836, which employs a high-power electrode furnace to rapidly release and measure target gases. It also outlines best practices for sampling and sample…

Carbon black powder

Determining Carbon Black in Polymers with TGA801

National and regional regulations provide guidance on the approved grade and type of Carbon Black, and some regulations specifically restrict the amount of Carbon Black that may be present in plastics designated for food contact. A common method for determining the content of Carbon Black in polymer materials is thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).
Water jugs

Determining Ash in Plastics with Thermogravimetry

Determining the filler content of plastic is an important aspect of quality control monitoring. Ash is the inorganic remainder that is left after heating a polymer at high temperatures to remove the presence of water and organic matter. Ash content of a plastic is reflective of the relative filler content in that plastic and can…
steel foundry worker pouring cast iron

Determination of Nitrogen in Plastics with FP928

The determination of Nitrogen is crucial in the material characterization and quality control procedures for the manufacturing and molding process of plastic materials. The LECO FP928 is a Nitrogen determinator that utilizes an automated Dumas combustion method and provides accurate and precise results in approximately five minutes. This eliminates involved sample preparation and the use…
Water jugs

Determination of Ash in Polyethylene

The LECO TGA801 offers a high-capacity solution for determining ash and inorganic filler levels in polyethylene (PE) resins to ensure consistent UV resistance and structural durability. By analyzing up to 19 macro samples simultaneously, manufacturers can precisely monitor additives like titanium dioxide and glass fibers to maintain the high-performance standards required for PE films, pipes,…
Containers full of fruit

Determination of Ash in Polyproylene

Macro thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) provides the high-precision mass measurements needed to verify inorganic filler levels in polypropylene (PP). By accurately determining ash content, manufacturers can guarantee the thermal stability and mechanical performance of PP in demanding industrial applications.
Person holding coffee cup

Determination of Ash in Polystyrene

The LECO TGA801 provides a high-throughput solution for determining the ash and inorganic filler content of polystyrene (PS). By analyzing up to 19 macro samples simultaneously, manufacturers can precisely monitor additives like titanium dioxide to ensure the thermal stability and mechanical performance of rigid PS materials.
Hollow Galvanized Steel Beams

Quantify Regulated Phthalates in Consumer Plastics using GC-TOFMS

This application note demonstrates the use of LECO’s Pegasus BT GC-TOFMS system for quantitation of phthalates in a range of commercial products including two children’s toys, an ink pen barrel, and cross-linked high-density polyethylene (CL-HDPE) pipe used in residential plumbing applications.
Alloy metal rods

Packaging Contaminants in Consumer Cola Beverages

This application note investigates packaging-derived volatile contaminants in cola beverages using GCxGC-TOFMS and ChromaTOF Sync to support quality, safety, and packaging evaluation.
Boxer holding mouth guard

Characterizing Extractables from Dental Bite Guards with GC-TOFMS

Characterizing extractables from dental bite guards using GCxGC-HRT-TOFMS and ChromaTOF to assess potential leachables, safety, and regulatory compliance (ISO 10993-18).

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electronic microchips closeup

Determination of Oxygen in Silicon Wafers with O836Si

Oxygen is a critical impurity in single-crystal silicon wafers that can precipitate during thermal processing and negatively impact device performance and reliability. This application note discusses the importance of oxygen determination in silicon wafer manufacturing and how monitoring oxygen concentration enables manufacturers to optimize production methods and achieve consistent, high-quality semiconductor substrates.
silicon carbide close up

Determination of Carbon and Sulfur in Silicon Carbide

Determine total carbon and sulfur in silicon carbide for purity and process control using the LECO CS744 with high precision and low-level detection.

Carbon black powder

Image Analysis of Cast Aluminum Porosity

In an aluminum foundry, the metallurgy lab will often be asked to check an aluminum sample for “porosity”. To do this, they will usually need to section, mount, grind, and polish the sample, then do an analysis using LECO’s IA44 Image Analysis System. This application note highlights the Porosity Analysis in Aluminum.
Water jugs

Metallographic Preparation of Ceramic and Cermet Materials

This guide details the metallographic preparation of ceramic and cermet materials, focusing on proper sectioning, mounting, grinding, and polishing. Etching procedures and automation tips ensure accurate microstructure and porosity analysis.
steel foundry worker pouring cast iron

Metallographic Preparation of Printed Circuit Boards

This guide explains best practices for metallographic preparation of printed circuit boards (PCBs) for microstructural examination. It outlines techniques to prevent smearing, over-polishing, and relief in thin contact layers to ensure accurate analysis.
Aluminum automotive piston

Metallography of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

This guide explores the complete metallographic workflow for aluminum and its alloys. It provides technical insights into minimizing surface deformation to accurately analyze grain size, intermetallic phases, and porosity.
cast iron flywheel

Automated Decarburization Depth Analysis

Decarburization causes the surface of steel or cast iron to become softer than the core, reducing wear resistance and fatigue life. Explore how microindentation hardness testing can precisely measure material hardness at specific depths, providing critical insight into the extent of decarburization and helping ensure quality and performance in iron-based alloys.
Hollow Galvanized Steel Beams

Metallographic Principles and Procedures

An overview of basic metallographic principles and procedures including detailed methods and stages of preparation,
Alloy metal rods

Packaging Contaminants in Consumer Cola Beverages

This application note investigates packaging-derived volatile contaminants in cola beverages using GCxGC-TOFMS and ChromaTOF Sync to support quality, safety, and packaging evaluation.

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Select the carrier gas, modulator, and injection techniques to satisfy a wide variety of workflows.

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CX300 Series

CX300 Series Benchtop Sectioning Machines Precision Meets Performance The LECO CX300 Series of metallographic sectioning machines – including the manual CX300M, linear feed CX300L, and fully automatic CX300A – are compact, benchtop instruments designed to streamline sample preparation with an emphasis on user-friendly operation, lab safety, and easy maintenance. These machines enable efficient, clean, and […]

744/844 Series

744/844 Series Elemental Analyzers Overview LECO carbon and sulfur by induction analyzers deliver fast, accurate carbon and sulfur determination in inorganic materials using high‑frequency induction furnace combustion and nondispersive infrared detection. Designed for routine quality and process control, the CS744 combines robust performance, ease of operation, and dependable accuracy to support day-to-day analysis across metals, […]

RC612

Precise Total Organic & Inorganic Carbon and Moisture Determination

GDS Series

Glow Discharge Spectrometers deliver fast, accurate bulk and surface analysis for metals and coatings.

PX Series

PX Series Metallographic Grinding & Polishing Systems Advanced Grinder/Polishers for Fast, Reliable Sample Prep The LECO PX Series of metallographic grinder/polishers – including the PX300, PX400, and PX500 models – emphasizes ease of use while delivering exceptionally flat specimens that are ideal for microhardness or microstructural analysis. With innovative features like multi-touch controls, automated cleaning […]

MX Series

MX Series High-Throughput Mounting Presses Smart, Modern Metallographic Mounting The LECO MX Series of metallographic mounting presses, including the MX400 and MX500, are fully automatic; benchtop systems designed to streamline and accelerate your sample mounting process. These presses deliver fast cycle times, dual-sample mounting, and an intuitive touchscreen interface in a slim, space-saving design. Built […]

736/836 Series

Inert gas fusion analysis for oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen

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