Supplementary to the heat or cast analysis, a product analysis may be made on steel in the semifinished or finished form. For definitions and methods of sampling steel for product chemical analysis, refer to SAE J408.
A product analysis is a chemical analysis of the semifinished or finished steel to determine conformance to the specification requirements. The range of the specified chemical composition is normally expanded to take into account deviations associated with analytical reproducibility and the heterogeneity of the steel. Individual determinations may vary from the specified heat or cast analysis ranges or limits to the extent shown in Tables 1 through 5. The several determinations of any element in a heat or cast may not vary both above and below the specified range except for lead. Tables 1 through 5 provide permissible limits for various steel forms and composition types.
Rimmed or capped steels are not subject to product analysis limits because they are characterized by an inherently large variation in chemical composition. Also, for rephosphorized and resulfurized steels, the product analysis tolerance limits are not applicable for phosphorus and sulfur because of the degree to which these elements segregate.
Boron is not subject to product analysis tolerances.