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LABORATORY REPORT METAL IDENTIFICATION BY SPARK TESTS

AIRCRAFT ENGINEERING DEPT.
Edward Alexander Herrera, David Leonardo Piñeros Guzmán
e-mail: eaherreraa@libertadores.edu.co,
dlpinerosg@libertadores.edu.co

RESUMEN also a time proven set of practices and building materials

that are commonplace within the aviation community.
If there is one universal commonality among the
Mediante un montaje experimental, y utilizando un
countless aircraft types, it is the use of steel within the
esmeril, se someterán a prueba de chispa diferentes
structure in some form or another. From the very earliest
alambres hechos de diferentes materiales, con esto será
of aircraft to even the most current, exotic composite
posible observar como cada material presenta unas
aircraft, there is still steel in some form or another used
condiciones físicas y térmicas diferentes y como estas
within the aircraft.
condiciones se relaciones con su conductividad térmica,
There is a standard shop practice which is used to
eléctrica y sus propiedades mecánicas.
identify the difference between the different types of
PALABRAS CLAVE: Cobre, Alambre, Cola de chispa,
metals. We do this by using a standard test called the
Ferroso, compuesto
“Spark Test”. A Spark test is a time honored method for
ABSTRACT identifying different types of ferrous metal. (Figure: 1)
By means of an experimental set up, and using an
emery, different types of wires, made of different
materials, will be subjected to a test of spark, with this it
will be possible to observe how each material presents
different physical and thermal conditions and as these
conditions are related to its thermal, electrical
conductivity And their mechanical properties.
KEYWORDS: Copper, Wire, Spark test, Ferrous,
composite.

1 INTRODUCTION Figure 1: Spark testing method

The spark test made by holding a sample of the material
against an abrasive wheel, put it in an Emeril, by visually
inspecting of the spark stream can identify metals with
accurately; the spark test is fast, economical, convenient,
and easy method. The amount of sparks or lack, the
length of the spark stream, color, and form of sparks
given off help to identify the metal.
2 MARCO TEÓRICO
2.1 Spark Test
Source: http://www.electricmotorglider.com/2015/12/spark-testing-sport-
aviation.html
The spark test is conducted using a standard bench
grinder. While applying the metal to the grinding wheel,
we can observe the resulting sparks and their
characteristics. Each type of metal will produce different
results. With experience and knowledge, you will soon
become confident in your ability to identify one type of
metal from another. When we observe the spark, we will
be looking at the length of spark, the color of the spark,
and the shape and placement of the Forks, Sprigs, and
Starbursts produced by the spark.

Different metals produces different types of spark, so , in

Spark test is conducted by allowing a piece of metal to order to identify the material testing we can observe a
touch the high-speed portable or stationary grinder with table that compiles the typical form of the spark in the
enough pressure to create a spark of stream.   An material.(Figure 2)
experienced metal worker visually inspects the spark
stream to identify the metals and considers the length,
color and form of the spark stream before identifying the
metal.

2.2 Spark Testing

As with most building trades, (electricians, masons,

carpenters,) there are time proven materials and a base
line method of performing tasks which become “standard
practice”. As an aircraft builder, I soon learn that there is

1
 .

pattern and length of the sparks produced. The spark

patterns may have combinations of bright lines, bursts
and zigzags. Compare the sparks you see against a
printed reference. You may need to go back and forth
between the reference and the sparks, performing
several tests until you’ve identified the metal.

Using an Emeril powered by a 1200 RPM engine and a

collection of four (4) different materials wires, we do the
laboratory.

Figure 2: Typical form of the spark

Source:http://faculty.sdmiramar.edu/faculty/sdccd/dbuser/101H/101H_ha
ndout/Ferrous%20Metals%20Spark%20Testing.pdf

3 EXPERIMENTAL ASSEMBLY
The main purpose of this laboratory is to do the spark
test made by holding a sample of the material against an
abrasive wheel, by visually inspecting the spark. In the
day-to-day we work with a lot of different types of wires,
and the spark test is an easy way to classify them.

Figure 4: Experimental assembly

Source: Own

4 ANALISS Y RESULTS

 Sweet wire

The first test executed was with steel wire:

Figure 3: Experimental assembly diagram

Source: http://education.seattlepi.com/spark-test-metal-4725.html

Materials:

Grinder
Meter
Wires of different materials
Camera
Security clothes

The study focused on the length of the sparks, the angle

that the sparks were projected from the horizontal axis,
the angle of extremes and other details of the sparks.
This method was a different approach from previous Figure 5: frontal view sweet wire testing
Source: own
other studies conducted in the sense that the data is
measurable instead of a purely observational
identification of the spark pattern.

Procedure
Turn the grinder on and bring the metal into light contact
with the grinding wheel, such that the sparks fly clear of
the grinder and wheel. Carefully observe the color,

2
 .

Figure 10: sweet wire after testing

Figure 6: side view steel wire testing Source: own
Source: own

 Copper wire

The third test executed was with copper wire:

Figure 7: steel wire after testing

Source: own
 Sweet wire

The second test executed was with sweet wire:

Figures 11-12: Front and side view of the copper testing

Source: own

Figure 8: sweet wire after testing

Source: own
Figure 13: Copper wire after testing
Source: own

Figure 9: sweet wire after testing

Source: own

3
 .

 Nickel-Steel wire
 Copper wire
The fifth test executed was with Nickel-steel wire:
The fourth test executed was with galvanized steel wire:

Figure 14: front view galvanized-steel wire testing

Source: own Figure 17: front view Nickel-steel wire testing
Source: own

Source: own

Figure 15: side view galvanized-steel wire testing

Source: own
Figure 19: side view Nickel-steel wire testing
Source: own

Figure 20: Nickel-steel wire after testing

Figure 16: galvanized-steel after testing Source: own
Source: own

4
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5 CONCLUSIONES
The metals have a greater length and width of spark and
burn as its carbon content increases and its hardness;
highly conductive materials do not generate spark, as is
the case of copper. In materials with some coating we
can view a change in the color of the spark as well as the
angle that forms this.

The length and width of spark is directly linked to his

mechanical properties, of the material, that is to say the
softer materials who have smaller mechanical properties,
such as soft metals, do not present a considerable length
or width of spark, also it is observed that the coatings to
weigh Of adding hardness and other properties to the
materials do not modify the spark produced more
because this coating quickly wears against the stone and
exposes the material, with this type of materials you
have to be very attentive at the beginning of the process
since the spark that initially Produces is that it describes
me the coating that owns the material

6 REFERENCIAS
[1]http://faculty.sdmiramar.edu/faculty/sdccd/dbuser/101
H/101H_handout/Ferrous%20Metals%20Spark
%20Testing.pdf
[2] http://education.seattlepi.com/spark-test-metal-
4725.html.
[3] http://www.electricmotorglider.com/2015/12/spark-
testing-sport-aviation.html.
[4]https://blackboard.libertadores.edu.co/bbcswebdav/pid
-88948-dt-announcement-rid-
4581580_1/courses/IA014824020171/Informe%20de
%20chispa%202.pdf.
[5] Universidad de Chile, [En línea]. Available:
http://www.uchile.edu.cl/flujocompresible.
[6] C. Oosthuizen, Compressible Fluid Solid, Ottawa:
McGraw-Hill Handbooks, 1997.
[7] J. D. Anderson, Modern Compressible Flow,
Singapore: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 2016.
[8] G. US, U.S STANDART ATMOSPHERE, 1976,
Washington: National Aeronautic and Space
Administration, 1976.
[9] HARVARD, [En línea]. Available:
http://acmg.seas.harvard.edu/people/faculty/djj/book/bo
okchap2.html