Designation: E 1004 – 09

Standard Test Method for

Determining Electrical Conductivity Using the
Electromagnetic (Eddy-Current) Method 1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E 1004; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.

1. Scope* priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
1.1 This test method covers a procedure for determining the bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
electrical conductivity of nonmagnetic metals using the elec- 2. Referenced Documents
tromagnetic (eddy-current) method. The procedure has been
written primarily for use with commercially available direct 2.1 ASTM Standards:2
reading electrical conductivity instruments. General purpose B 193 Test Method for Resistivity of Electrical Conductor
eddy-current instruments may also be used for electrical Materials
conductivity measurements but will not be addressed in this E 105 Practice for Probability Sampling Of Materials
test method. E 122 Practice for Calculating Sample Size to Estimate,
1.2 This test method is applicable to metals that have either With Specified Precision, the Average for a Characteristic
a flat or slightly curved surface and includes metals with or of a Lot or Process
without a thin nonconductive coating. E 543 Specification for Agencies Performing Nondestruc-
1.3 Eddy-current determinations of electrical conductivity tive Testing
may be used in the sorting of metals with respect to variables E 1316 Terminology for Nondestructive Examinations
such as type of alloy, aging, cold deformation, heat treatment, 2.2 ASNT Documents:
effects associated with non-uniform heating or overheating, Recommended Practice SNT-TC-1A for Personnel Qualifi-
and effects of corrosion. The usefulness of the examinations of cation and Certification In Nondestructive Testing3
these properties is dependent on the amount of electrical ANSI/ASNT-CP-189 Standard for Qualification and Certi-
conductivity change caused by a change in the specific fication of NDT Personnel3
variable. 2.3 AIA Document:
1.4 Electrical conductivity, when evaluated with eddy- NAS–410 Certification and Qualification of Nondestructive
current instruments, is usually expressed as a percentage of the Testing Personnel4
conductivity of the International Annealed Copper Standard 3. Terminology
(IACS). The conductivity of the Annealed Copper Standard is
defined to be 0.58 3 108 S/m (100 % IACS) at 20°C. 3.1 Definitions—Definitions of terms relating to eddy-
1.5 The values stated in SI units are regarded as standard. current examination are given in Terminology E 1316.
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the 3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E07 on the ASTM website.
3
Nondestructive Testing and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E07.07 on Available from American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), P.O. Box
Electromagnetic Method. 28518, 1711 Arlingate Ln., Columbus, OH 43228-0518, http://www.asnt.org.
4
Current edition approved May 15, 2009. Published June 2009. Originally Available from Aerospace Industries Association of America, Inc. (AIA), 1000
approved in 1991. Last previous edition approved in 2002 as E 1004 - 02. Wilson Blvd., Suite 1700, Arlington, VA 22209-3928, http://www.aia-aerospace.org.
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*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard.

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 E 1004 – 09
3.2.1 temperature coeffıcient—the fractional or percentage 6.3 The following additional items are subject to contractual
change in electrical conductivity per degree Celsius change in agreement between the parties using or referencing this test
temperature. method.
6.3.1 Timing of Examination
4. Significance and Use 6.3.2 Extent of Examination
4.1 Absolute probe coil methods, when used in conjunction 6.3.3 Reporting Criteria/Acceptance Criteria
with reference standards of known value, provide a means for 6.3.4 Reexamination of Repaired/Reworked Items
determining the electrical conductivity of nonmagnetic mate-
rials. 7. Variables Influencing Accuracy
4.2 Electrical conductivity of a sample can be used as a 7.1 Consider the influence of the following variables to
means of determining: (1) type of metal or alloy, (2) type of ensure an accurate evaluation of electrical conductivity.
heat treatment (for aluminum this evaluation should be used in 7.1.1 Temperature—The instrument, probe, reference stan-
conjunction with a hardness examination), (3) aging of the dards, and parts being examined shall be stabilized at ambient
alloy, (4) effects of corrosion, and (5) heat damage. temperature prior to conductivity evaluation. When possible,
5. Limitations examinations should be performed at room temperature (typi-
cally 68 6 15°F).
5.1 The ability to accomplish the examinations included in 7.1.2 Probe Coil to Metal Coupling—Variations in the
4.2 is dependent on the conductivity change caused by the separation between the probe coil and the surface of the sample
variable of interest. If the conductivity is a strong function of (lift-off) can cause large changes in the instrument output
the variable of interest, these examinations can be very signal. Instruments vary widely in sensitivity due to lift-off,
accurate. In some cases, however, changes in conductivity due and some have adjustments for minimizing it. Standardize the
to changes in the variable of interest may be too small to detect. instrument with values at least as large as the known lift-off.
The ability to isolate the variable of interest from other Surface curvature may also affect the coupling. (Consult the
variables is also important. For example, if the alloy is not manufacturer’s manual for limitations on lift-off and surface
known, the heat treatment cannot be determined from conduc- curvature).
tivity alone. 7.1.3 Edge Effect—Tests should not be performed within
5.2 The curve relating temper and conductivity of an alu- two coil diameters of any discontinuity, such as an edge, hole,
minum alloy should be known before attempting to interpret or notch unless coil manufacturer’s instructions allow. Consult
conductivity measurements. For example, knowing alloy and manufacturer’s instructions to determine equipment limitations
heat treatment, the adequacy of the heat treatment can be for inspection adjacent to any discontinuity. If no information
estimated. regarding probe use restrictions or limitations adjacent to such
6. Basis of Application discontinuities exist, examinations should not be performed
within two coil diameters of any discontinuity.
6.1 Personnel Qualification:
7.1.4 Uniformity of Sample—Variations in material proper-
6.1.1 If specified by the contractual agreement, personnel
ties are common and can be quite large. Discontinuities or
performing examinations to this test method shall be qualified
inhomogeneities in the metal near the position of the probe coil
in accordance with a nationally or internationally recognized
will change the value of the measured conductivity.
NDT personnel qualification standard such as ANSI/ASNT-
CP-189, SNT-TC-1A, NAS-410, or a similar document and NOTE 1—Similar materials from various manufacturing methods (ex-
certified by the employer or certifying agency, as applicable. trusion, forging, casting, rolling, machined vs. unmachined) may exhibit
significant conductivity variation between processes.
The practice of the standard used and its applicable revision
shall be specified in the contractual agreement between the 7.1.5 Surface Conditions—Surface treatments and rough-
using parties. ness can affect the measured conductivity value of a material.
6.1.2 Qualification and certification for personnel may be Cladding also has a pronounced effect on conductivity readings
reduced when the following conditions are met: as compared to the base metal values. Procedures for deter-
6.1.2.1 The examination will be limited to operating equip- mining the electrical conductivity of clad materials are not
ment, which displays the results in percent IACS. addressed in this test method. The sample surface should be
6.1.2.2 A specific procedure is used that is approved by a clean and free of grease.
certified Level III in accordance with 6.1.1. 7.1.6 Instrument Stability—Instrument drift, noise, and non-
6.1.2.3 Documentation of training and examination is per- linearities can cause inaccuracies in the measurement.
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formed to ensure that personnel are qualified. Qualified per- 7.1.7 Nonunique Conductivity Values—It should be noted
sonnel are those who have demonstrated, by passing written that two different alloys can have the same conductivity. Thus,
and practical proficiency tests, that they possess the skills and in some cases, a measurement of conductivity may not
job knowledge necessary to ensure acceptable workmanship. uniquely characterize an alloy. Overheated parts and some
6.2 Qualification of Nondestructive Testing Agencies—If heat-treated aluminum alloys are examples of materials that
specified in the contractual agreement, NDT agencies shall be may have identical conductivity values for different heat
qualified and evaluated as described in Practice E 543. The treatments or tempers.
applicable edition of Practice E 543 shall be specified in the 7.1.8 Sample Thickness—Eddy-current density decreases
contractual agreement. exponentially with depth (that is, distance from the metal

Copyright by ASTM Int'l (all rights reserved); Wed Dec 2 01:40:11 EST 2009 2
 E 1004 – 09
surface). The depth at which the density is approximately 37 % tivity meter against the instrument’s operational standards, and
(1/e) of its value at the surface is called the standard depth of compensate the conductivity meter for surface roughness and
penetration d. Calculate the standard depth of penetration for lift-off in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If a
nonmagnetic materials using one of the following formulas: lift-off adjustment is not available, determine the acceptable
503.3 range of lift-off that will meet the accuracy requirements.
d5 ~m!, s51/r (1) Verify the standardization of the conductivity meter at periodic
=fs
intervals (see Section 10).
K 9.1.1 The instrument, probe, and reference standards shall
d5 ~cm!, K.50, µr51 (2) be standardized while maintaining the temperature within 5°F
=~1/r! fµr
of the ambient temperature. It is desirable to perform the
standardization at room temperature (typically 70 6 15°F).
1
d5 ~m!, µ5µoµr, µo54p31027, µr51 (3) 9.1.2 Instruments with two standardization adjustments
=pµsf shall be adjusted so that the known value of conductivity is
where: obtained for both reference standards. The reference standards
s = electrical conductivity of the sample in S/m, used should have conductivities that bracket the conductivity
r = electrical resistivity in V·m, and value of the sample.
f = examination frequency in Hz. 9.1.3 Some instruments have only one standardization ad-
These formulas are for nonmagnetic materials when the justment. In these cases the instrument should be standardized
relative permeability, µrel=1. If the thickness of the sample and to a reference standard at one end of the range to be examined.
the reference standards is at least 2.6d, the effect of thickness A reference standard at the other end of the range should be
is negligible. Smaller depths of penetration (higher frequen- examined to verify that the error is within acceptable limits
cies) may be desirable for measuring surface effects. The over the entire range.
eddy-current density decrease with depth is also affected by the 9.2 Reference Standards—Electrical conductivity reference
coil diameter. The change due to coil diameter variation is not standards are usually classified as primary, secondary, and
considered in the above equation. Consult the instrument operational standards.
manufacturer if penetration depth appears to be a source of 9.2.1 Primary Conductivity Standards—These are reference
error in the measurement. standards that have been verified in terms of the fundamental
8. Apparatus units. The primary standards are kept in a laboratory environ-
ment and are used only to standardize secondary standards.
8.1 Electronic Apparatus—The electronic apparatus shall
9.2.2 Secondary Conductivity Standards—These reference
be capable of energizing the probe coil with alternating
standards have a value assigned through comparison with
currents of suitable frequencies and power levels and shall be
primary standards. The primary standards used for assignment
capable of sensing changes in the measured impedance of the
of values to these secondary standards shall have been stan-
coil. Equipment may include any suitable signal-processing
dardized using Test Method B 193. The secondary standards
device (phase discriminator, filter circuits, and so forth). The
are kept in a laboratory environment and are used only to
output may be displayed in either analog or digital readouts.
calibrate operational or instrument standards.
Readout is normally in percent IACS although it may be scaled
for readings in other units. Additional apparatus, such as 9.2.3 Operational Conductivity Standards—These refer-
computers, plotters, or printers, or combination thereof, may be ence standards are standardized by comparison with secondary
used in the recording of data. standards. These reference standards are used to standardize
8.2 Probe—Probe coil designs combine empirical and the instrument during use.
mathematical design methods to choose appropriate combina- 9.3 Reference standards should be examined with a rela-
tions of characteristics. Many instruments use one probe coil. tively small coil to determine the uniformity of electrical
In instruments with several coils, the difference between coils conductivity over the surface of the standard. Both the front
is the coil geometry. For most conductivity instruments, the and the back surface should be examined for any conductivity
cable connecting the coil to the instrument is an integral part of differences that may exist. If possible, scan the surfaces at
the measuring circuit and the cable length should not be several different input signal frequencies.
modified without consulting the instrument manufacturer or 9.4 Each time the reference standards are used, place the
manual. probe coil at the same position relative to the center of the
8.2.1 The probe coil should be designed to minimize the standard within 61⁄2 of the coil diameter, not to exceed 66.35
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effect of heat transfer from hand to coil. mm (60.25 in.), for example: 64 mm for an 8-mm diameter
8.3 Mechanical handling apparatus for feeding the samples coil, or 62 mm for a 4-mm diameter coil.
or moving the probe coil, or both, may be used to automate a 9.5 Electrical conductivity reference standards are precise
specific measurement. electrical standards and should be treated as such. Scratching
of the surface of the standard may introduce measurement
9. Standardization and Calibration error. Avoid dropping or other rough handling of the standard.
9.1 Standardization—Turn the instrument on and allow it Keep the surface of the standard as clean as possible. Clean
sufficient time to stabilize in accordance with the manufactur- with a nonreactive liquid and a soft cloth or tissue. Store
er’s instructions. Adjust, balance, and standardize the conduc- reference standards in a place where the temperature is

Copyright by ASTM Int'l (all rights reserved); Wed Dec 2 01:40:11 EST 2009 3
 E 1004 – 09
relatively constant. Avoid thermal shocking of the reference 12.1.4 Reference standards.
standards or placing them where large temperature variations 12.1.5 Measurement frequency.
are present. 12.1.6 Description of Materials:
12.1.6.1 Geometry.
10. Procedure 12.1.6.2 Chemistry.
10.1 Connect the required probe coil to the instrument. 12.1.6.3 Heat treatment.
10.2 Switch on the instrument and allow it to warm up for 12.1.7 Standardization method.
at least the length of time recommended by the manufacturer. 12.1.8 Temperature:
10.3 Ensure the temperature of all components to be as 12.1.8.1 Temperature of the reference standards.
specified in 9.1.1, and that the instrument readings have 12.1.8.2 Sample temperature.
stabilized. 12.1.8.3 Ambient temperature.
10.4 Make all necessary setups and control adjustments in 12.1.9 Examination procedure.
accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation.
10.5 Standardize the measurement system in accordance 13. Precision and Bias
with 9.1. Standardize at the start of the run and at least once
13.1 Measurement bias depends upon factors that include
every hour of continuous operation or whenever improper
uniformity of material properties in the reference standard and
functioning of the system is suspected.
sample, temperature control of the reference standards and
10.6 Place the probe coil on the sample, and read the results
sample, measurement techniques, and instrument stability and
on the display.
accuracy.
10.7 Verify the standardization of the instrument at the end
13.2 If the measurement has been done so that errors
of the examination of each lot. If the standardization is found
discussed in Section 7 are minimized, the most significant
to have exceeded the limits set by the user, re-standardize the
sources of systematic error will be in the reference standards
system and reexamine all of the material examined since the
and the instrumentation.
last acceptable standardization (see 9.1).
13.2.1 Reference Standards—The magnitude of the uncer-
11. Interpretation of Results tainty of the reference standards, for example, 60.173106 S/m
(60.3 % IACS) is a systematic error for the measurement.
11.1 The results of eddy-current conductivity examination
are based on the comparison of an unknown sample with one 13.2.2 Instrumentation—Consult the manufacturer’s
or more reference standards. manual to determine the instrument uncertainty which is also a
11.2 Ensure that the results are within the desired accuracy systematic error.
(refer to Section 7). 13.3 Temperature—If absolute measurements of electrical
conductivity are being made, the temperature coefficients of
12. Report the reference standards must be known and used while stan-
12.1 The written report of an electrical conductivity mea- dardizing the equipment. The systematic error due to tempera-
surement should contain any information about the examina- ture will then be negligible. If the coefficients are not known,
tion setup that will be necessary to duplicate the examination at values for the coefficients may be found in a physics or
the same or some other location, plus such other items as may material sciences handbook. A calculation based on published
be agreed upon between the producer and purchaser. Specific values will give a general idea of the systematic error due to
items to be recorded should be agreed upon and determined by temperature.
the using parties. Examples of items that may be recorded are 13.4 Practices E 105 and E 122 may be consulted if (1)
as follows: multiple measurements are made on a sample or (2) measure-
12.1.1 Apparatus Description: ments are made on a portion of a large number of samples in
12.1.1.1 Equipment type. order to determine the electrical conductivity of the lot.
12.1.1.2 Model number. 13.5 The repeatability standard deviation and reproducibil-
12.1.1.3 Serial number. ity of this test method are being determined and will be
12.1.1.4 Recorder type (if used). available on or before January, 2014.
12.1.2 Coil:
12.1.2.1 Size. 14. Keywords
12.1.2.2 Type. 14.1 eddy-current; electrical conductivity; metal sorting;
12.1.3 Other interconnecting apparatus. nondestructive testing
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 E 1004 – 09
SUMMARY OF CHANGES

Committee E07 has identified the location of selected changes to this standard since the last issue (E 1004 - 02)
that may impact the use of this standard. (May 15, 2009)

(1) Subsection 7.1: Variables Influencing Accuracy: the rec- (3) Subsection 9.4 is modified to account for newer coil
ommended reference temperature is changed from 70 6 15°F diameters available from manufacturers. The probe must be
to 68 6 15°F in line with standard temperature definition for placed with in 6 1⁄2 of the coil diameter, rather than the
IACS. previous 66.35 mm (60.25 in.) restriction.
(2) Subsection 7.1.3: Edge Effect—modified testing edge (4) Subsection 13.5: Precision and Bias has been added to
restrictions—now are to be based on manufacturers recommen- show that a study has not yet been completed for this test
dation. method.

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