Despite not being defined in the specifications of chemical composition for the different material qualities, the need to verify
and to quantify certain trace elements in iron based materials (cast iron, low
and medium alloy steels, as well as stainless steels) is due to the influence
that these trace elements can have in the own properties of the material, or
even in the various interactions that may occur within other elements, that might
negatively affect the main characteristics of these type of materials.
Usually, it
is a residual presence (low or very low concentrations of certain
elements), which can generate an
adverse effect and consequently an undesired influence in the characteristics of such materials.