Metallurgical analysis
From Memory Alpha, the free Star Trek reference.
A metallurgical analysis is a thorough sensor scan of a metal.
In 2369, Captain Jean-Luc Picard ordered a metallurgical scan of the hull of the USS Enterprise-D to see if subspace field incursions by the solanagen-based lifeform had left a trace. (TNG: "Schisms")
In 2373, the USS Voyager conducted a metallurgic analysis of the Takarian planet, ascertaining that the Takarians were at a Bronze Age level of development. (VOY: "False Profits")
