Quality assurance requirements of the Langley Research Center have given the impetus for the investigation and development of a reliable system of rapid identification of metals and alloys. Families of metals and alloys considered in this system are aluminum and aluminum alloys, copper and copper alloys, magnesium and magnesium alloys, nickel and nickel alloys, stainless and heat resisting steels, carbon and low alloy steels, tool steels, titanium and titanium alloys, and some pure metals.